Real Champions
by Norwesterner
Summary: Sally and Lightning are becoming overly busy, almost torn apart, with the demands of business and success. Other, darker challenges await them as well. A true-to-the-first-movie romance sequel. Complete — with little improvements as of 07-01-11.
1. Chapter 1

_March__ 24, 2009 — Having just discovered CARS . . . and not finding any decent novels or really engaging stories in books that folks older, as well as younger, might enjoy . . . I thought I'd try my hand at the kind of story here that I'd like to read myself. Even though I'm working on wrapping up a story in another realm here, I just couldn't keep myself from starting this one!_

_My thanks to Disney's Pixar Animation Studios for creating and owning the movie CARS and its characters. Keep turning out these inspiring cinematic home runs!_

_Oh, and as Mater would warn, "Of course, there be a few spoilers from the original picture 'round here, sure as snow makes a highway slick! So 'ya might wanta 'git and see it furst!"_

_Enjoy!_

— _Norwesterner_

* * *

It was late in the evening when Mack pulled back into town, hauling by what had now become known as Lightning McQueen's Radiator Springs Racing Team . . . everyone else insisted he keep his name in the title. The team now occupied two trailers. But ol' Mack didn't mind the extra load.

Most of the team traveled in the lead trailer, loading through the side, while Lightning traveled in the second trailer so he could still make his flashy arrivals out the rear. Both trailers were connected by rubber bellows. But while the cars could all talk, or draw curtains across as they liked . . . they just couldn't really crawl past each other inside and change places. They tried that once, but the result wasn't pretty!

Lightning had rearranged his own traveling quarters as well though, so that he could share them with at least one of his teammates. That's what he called them, and practically everyone in Radiator Springs now . . .

— — — — —

"We are all a team . . . and teammates now," Lightning decided to tell everyone when they had gathered at Flo's one evening a while back. "Both the final race of last season, and the first couple of this season, have been the best races of my life. They haven't been great because I won, or came close. They've been great because you've been there — or back here in town — supporting me, urging me on. Knowing you've been behind me has given me an energy, determination, and . . ." he paused a minute, "joy . . . yes, joy . . . that I've never known before."

Sally was practically tearing up as she nudged up against him approvingly, and there wasn't a dry eye among any of the cars or trucks gathered around anymore.

"Way to go, Stickers!" she whispered to him encouragingly, as she closed her eyes and continued to nuzzle him.

While he tried his best not to be pleasantly distracted by Sally, even she noticed the effect she was having on him. She backed away just a little while straightening herself up.

Lightning endeavored to continue. "I-I may be the one out there on the track. But I'm there only because of you all. And while I once raced alone, and was a 'one car show' . . . I would no longer want to be out there without you . . . all of you. This is my home now. And all of you are the friends — practically the family — I never had before."

"We're in this together. We're a team!" he concluded enthusiastically, amid everyone's cheers. "The oils are on me!" The cheers then grew even louder.

After the talk and celebrating went on a while longer, things eventually died down and everyone started to head for home.

"Sorry to distract you there, Stickers," Sally quietly said to him as she and Lightning left together. "I'll try not to do it again."

"Hey, what if I don't mind being distracted . . ." he said warmly back to her.

— — — — —

Lightning enjoyed that memory again as he sleepily looked out the window, seeing the now familiar Radiator Springs Drive-In theatre slip by.

_Almost home . . . and almost seeing Sally again, _he contentedly thought to himself, as he looked back at Mater dozing away in front of him.

Mack finally came to a halt on the still bare lot that was to become the team headquarters, and opened the trailer doors remotely while broadcasting on the videocom, "Here we are everybody! Home Sweet Home Radiator Springs!"

As Lightning yawned, Mater stretched, causing a crash as he inadvertently knocked down a shelf of Lightning's bobblehead cars.

"Mater! Be careful in here," Lightning warned him. "Things are a lot closer in here than in your own garage. Come to think of it, you don't have anything in your garage, do you?"

"Sawry Lightnin'. This be prob'ly why," Mater noted apologetically.

While he sometimes got irritated with the problems his friend caused and the messes he made, Lightning could never really get mad at Mater.

Mater tried to put the shelf and its trinkets back up, but they kept falling back down.

"Aw, it's okay, Mater. Just put it all off to the side, and we'll have Guido put it all back, okay? He's better at that than either of us," Lightning said, wanting to be able to get out of the trailer before morning came, as much as anything else.

"Thanks, Lightnin'. I'll done make this up to you, I will!" Mater said as he gently pushed the shelf and trinkets off to one side before he started to back out of the trailer.

Lightning finally emerged from the trailer to a small gathered crowd of teammates, townsfolk, and a fair number of visitors now. Even his arrivals home were now becoming a tourist attraction in themselves. While he was always glad to see a crowd greet him, and the cameras flash around him . . . Lightning found himself looking for just one face in the crowd, but he wasn't seeing it again.

Finally a blue streak pulled up from the distance, raising some dust as it came to a stop on the lot and slowly made its way through the crowd.

"Sorry I'm late, Stickers!" Sally said almost breathlessly. "Running both our growing business empires is making me forget to even gas up and eat sometimes!"

"Yeah, I understand . . . business first." Lightning said through his teeth with a barely disguised degree of almost glum resignation, as he put on a forced smile for his camera-wielding fans again.

"What?" Sally asked, detecting something was wrong.

"Not here, not now, okay?" Lightning again said quietly through his forced smile.

"Yeah . . . okay . . ." Sally said looking down, suddenly feeling quite stung by his unusual abruptness.

"I'll be back at the Cozy Cone's office, okay?" she continued feeling downcast, excusing herself and making her way back through the assembled crowd.

"Sally . . ." Lightning called after her, trying but unable to push through the crowd himself for the moment.

Sally heard him, but didn't stop. She knew she had been preoccupied, but she didn't feel she deserved what she had just experienced. "I've been working hard for both of us!" she said tearfully as she drove the short distance back to the Cozy Cone. "Being cut off and shut up like that is not fair!"

Sally also couldn't help continuing to feel that she was a distraction to Lightning when he was 'on the job' — either racing, or greeting fans and the press. She had also seen the racing and celebrity scene, both on TV and when she was a hot-shot attorney in Los Angeles — how lady cars just hung themselves all over centers of attention like Lightning. If it's one thing Sally absolutely refused to be though, it was becoming just another beautiful but brainless celebrity 'hood ornament' . . . even to Lightning!

Sally motored in behind her desk at the motel's lobby. But she couldn't focus on work anymore.

"Aaarrrggghhh," she quietly groaned in frustration, getting out from behind her desk, turning out the lights and going to bed in her own cone.

Finally excusing himself for the night from the crowd, Lightning motored cautiously back to the Cozy Cone. He could see that Sally had been ticked, even hurt by what he'd said. He inwardly regretted the way things had happened this evening during their all-too-short reunion.

"I can't have real conversations in the middle of crowds!" he justified to himself. "Besides, she's almost never there when I come home . . . and she's never joined me on the road or at races yet, like most everyone else in town has by now! Why? Why does she ignore me, neglect me like that? I thought we cared about each other!"

By the time he arrived at the 'Cone, Lightning was so steamed that he was almost glad that Sally had turned the lights out and gone to bed in her own cone.

"Fine!" he muttered under his exhaust. "I don't want to talk to you either tonight!" he continued as he motored into his own Cone Number One, practically slamming the door down behind him.

Sally heard that slamming. "Don't you dare wreck that cone!" she said under her own exhaust. Settling onto her mats for the night, Sally now found tears in her eyes however.

"I've missed you, Stickers," she quietly whispered to herself. "Why is this happening between us? Why are we getting so busy that there's no time for drives . . . no time for talk anymore? Things need to be done in each of our worlds; but why are things happening the way they are?"

Sally had no answers as she switched off her light and tried to go to sleep.

Outside on the road in front of his own practice, Doc Hudson had been watching, and hearing what had been happening between Sally and Lightning.

He'd seen it before . . .

— — — — —

It was a crowded dirt track on a busy race day. The sun was hot, the roars of dozens of racecars warming up and taking practice laps was loud, almost deafening, and the dust was choking. In the middle of the ramshackle pits, a young, preoccupied racing coordinator was carrying a load of paperwork and announcements towards the announcer's tower. She bumped into a racecar as she hurried.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" the dark blue racecar growled, ticked at being jostled like that.

"I'm sorry!" the coordinator apologized as her papers now spilled around her in the pit area.

"Oh miss, I didn't see. I'm sorry . . ." the racecar now apologized as well, spellbound at finally seeing the light pink Cadillac Deville sedan that had been hidden behind that stack of papers.

"That's . . . fine . . ." she said back to him, now equally spellbound at her first sight of him, and admiring his sleek design and curved, bold lettering proclaiming to all who he was.

"Uhh . . . let me help you with all that, miss . . ." the racecar now offered.

"Thank you . . ." the attractive coordinator blushed, now allowing herself to stare openly at him as they worked together to gather the papers up.

— — — — —

Doc had seen that encounter blossom into a promising relationship over the rest of that 1951 season, and the following one as well. But he had seen that each car had allowed things to get in the way . . . pride, stubbornness, urgent things that had to be done, but that weren't really all that important.

"I should never have let you go, Dora . . ." he sighed wistfully to himself. "I never found another one like you."

Feeling the crack in his frame again, Doc was becoming conscious of his own possible mortality. He kept welding it back together himself, but it kept opening up again.

"No car lasts forever," he reminded himself, "unless it's laid up for good in a museum!" While he didn't mind having a wing of a museum dedicated in his honor, he refused to become an exhibit in it himself. If it was one place Doc refused to end up in, it was in a museum.

He looked back across the road at the Cozy Cone Motel.

"I'm not going to let the two of you make the mistake I did," Doc said to himself, as he eased back into his own office and home for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Lightning was awakened to the dueling sounds of Reveille and Hendrix's _Star Spangled Banner_, right at 0800. It didn't matter what day it was, both Sarge and Fillmore felt it was their obligation to awaken the entire valley right at that very moment, day in and day out.

"Will you turn that disrespectful junk off!" Lightning mouthed right along with Sarge.

"Respect the classics, man!" Lightning also mouthed with Fillmore.

It varied by hardly even a word or two every time Lightning had heard this morning ritual. It fortunately wasn't all that loud, but Lightning had been sleeping fitfully, still worried about what had happened between him and Sally last night.

He stretched, wanting to wake up slow after a busy couple of weeks of racing and appearances. He opened his cone's door, intending to continue relaxing as he enjoyed a warming morning.

As soon as he opened the door though, he saw Sally already hard at work, practically zooming between cones cleaning them and changing the mats. Lightning immediately felt guilty.

"Uh . . . hey Sal . . ." he said to her as she whizzed by between the office and one of the cones.

"Sorry, McQueen. No time to talk!" she answered quickly in passing.

_McQueen?__ What's with the last names all of a sudden?_ he wondered. _Sally must really be miffed with me,_ he thought.

With Sally working way too hard, and too much other activity around the motel court for him to really relax, Lightning thought he might as well get going and at least try to clear the air with her, otherwise his brief weekend at home would be basically a wreck.

"Sally," he said calling her across the courtyard, clearing his intake manifolds and taking a deep breath, " . . . can we talk, for a minute?"

Sally stopped and paused in front of Cone Six. She really wasn't wanting to talk right now . . . and really didn't have the time for it either.

She sighed though, deciding to turn and motor over to his cone, still carrying dirty mats on her hood.

"Look," she said not hiding her annoyance, "I'd like to, but I've got to get the rest of these cones cleaned and ready within the next half hour . . . less than that, actually — 'cause I'm sold out again tonight, as in 'No Vacancy'! Don't worry, I held your cone aside for you, even though I could have booked it three times over through this weekend. I can't even answer the phone anymore! I just return messages while Flo delivers gas and oil to me now!"

"But as soon as I get these cones clean," Sally continued, barely taking a breath, "I've got to go all the way up to the Wheel Well to interview and get a bid from a contractor who's interested in fixing that place up for me to reopen. Then I'm going to bring him down here to check out and bid on fixing the Radiator Springs Drive-In you had me buy on your behalf — which your agent still needs to forward me the funds on to close the sale with, by the way. Meanwhile I've also got to try squeezing in meeting with a deputy county district attorney that we're having to borrow from Carburetor County, bringing her up to speed so she can replace me as town attorney here for the time being. And we haven't even gotten started on getting your 'Racing Team Headquarters' planned, designed, and built. Plus we can't even open the Racing Museum gift shop right now because there is no one to run it! So do you get the idea why I'm running late to things like your homecoming, and why I don't have time to 'talk' right now? I'm getting later by the second here, so I gotta go, _OKAY_?"

"Sally . . ." Lightning quietly said, "I had no idea."

"No you didn't," she continued to say coldly, "because I haven't had time to tell you! While you've been gone, your 'fame' has done way more than 'put us on the map' again! It's made us all busier I'm told than before the Interstate opened 40 years ago. We need help . . . I need help . . . and we don't have it in this town! We don't have enough cars to do all the jobs and work that now needs to be done!"

"Sally . . . I'm sorry . . ." Lightning began to say, trying to apologize.

"Look, I'm sorry, too. But _I don't have time right now, okay_?" Sally responded, trying to contain her exasperation and sense of running late.

"What can I do?" Lightning said, still trying to win her forgiveness.

"Well," Sally said, now softening towards him a little, " . . . could you please clean the rest of these cones, so I can get going up to the Wheel Well? I'm already running late here."

"Then," she added, "could you split your time between watching my motel front desk, and relieving Mater over at the Racing Museum? He unfortunately tends to close it during the busiest times of the day, both for lunch and to catch up on his towing calls. I'm sorry, Stickers . . . I have to go now," she said, passing her dirty mats to him. "You can figure out where everything is, right?"

"Yeah," Lightning said with resignation over coming in second yet again to business demands. He really never liked coming in second to anything, but seeming to come in second again in Sally's priorities really hurt him inside. But he couldn't say so, especially since Sally was now turning to drive away. He wasn't going to allow her to get away though without letting her know one thing.

"Hey Sally!" he said trying to stop her briefly.

"_What?_" she asked in some exasperation, briefly turning back towards him.

"Thanks for calling me 'Stickers' again . . . it means a lot to me to hear you call me that." he said.

That stopped Sally in her tracks, almost making her start to cry.

"I'm so sorry Lightning," she started to say sadly, turning back towards him. "I don't know what to do anymore . . . how to keep up with it all."

She rushed back over to him to nuzzle up against him.

"I have to go though, okay?" she said reluctantly moving back as she looked at him.

"It's alright, Sal," Lightning said with understanding and relief. "I'll be _your_ crew here today, okay?"

"Thank you, Stickers . . . thank you so much!" she said, returning back close to him one more time to give him a quick affectionate bump.

"You go Sally Carrera! I'll be here! Ka-Chow!" he said to her with an affectionate wink.

"Ka-Chow back at 'ya, Stickers! Ka-Chow!" Sally said with growing affection as she turned and sped away.

Lightning smiled and sighed with the dirty mats now draped on his hood as he watched her go. He didn't want to lose her. But at the same time, with him gone again in a few days, and her so overwhelmed virtually every day, Lightning worried how he and Sally were going to get through it all . . . and even stay together, let alone grow closer.

His thoughts were interrupted by the bell ringing at the motel's front desk. New guests were ready to check in. Lightning had to figure out how to run a motel now by himself . . . real fast!

"Hello folks," he said with the mats still on his hood as he motored behind the front desk.

"Hi, we're here to check in . . ." a Buick Roadmaster sedan husband said, accompanied by his Roadmaster wagon wife.

"Hey, wait a minute . . ." he paused as it dawned on him, "Are you _the_ Lightning McQueen?"

"Yep, that's me!" Lightning said going into his new, more modest and straightforward 'fan meet-n-greet' mode again.

"Why shoot! You're just the car we've come so far to see! What the heck are you doing _working_ at this motel?" the astonished husband said.

Lightning smiled, as he started to use his new 'town team' pitch.

"Well, we're all a team here now in Radiator Springs," he started to say with pride, "that's why we call my team the Radiator Springs Racing Team! I'm just doing my share, helping Sally the motel owner here, while she's out taking care of other things. Come on by the Racing Museum a little later and I'll show you around myself . . . and don't forget to stop by Fillmore's for some great-tasting homemade organic fuel, and Flo's for a refreshing quart of oil."

"Wow!" the husband said. "I had no idea celebrities like you could be so friendly, or that such an out-of-the-way place like this could have such great town spirit!"

"That's why I call this place home now," Lightning replied with a smile. "Wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Now, let me get your name, so I can see which cone is yours."

"Robinson, Mr. McQueen, it's Robinson . . ." the still stunned husband said.

"Just call me Lightning, Mr. Robinson," Lightning said, half-stalling as he looked around desperately for where on the front desk the guest register might be.

Finally, he found it, rapidly flipping through it to today's date with his windshield wipers, and saying with relief, "Ah, I see you're in Cone Number Six . . ."

It dawned on him that this was the cone Sally was cleaning before she left.

" . . . Which I've still gotta clean for you. So if you'll excuse me!" he said as he zoomed out of the office towards Cone Six, with the dirty mats still on his hood — realizing a few seconds later that he had to find out where the clean mats were.

As Lightning was running around the motel court with a slightly panicked look on his face, the husband turned to his wife in amazement and said, "Wow Mabel, we've got the famous Lightning McQueen cleaning our motel room! Wait 'til I tell the fellas back home about this!"

"We gotta get a picture!" the husband continued as he moved over to the office's rear window and snapped a picture of a flustered Lightning zooming around with dirty mats on his hood. "Do 'ya think he'd autograph our room's shami cloths?"

— — — — —

Having finally got things at the Cozy Cone clean and settled for the midday, Lightning closed the office, hanging a "See me at the Racing Museum" sign on the door. Turning to leave, he almost bumped into Flo who was delivering Sally's now daily 'to go' lunch.

"Hey Lightning," Flo said, "where's Sally?"

"She's up at the Wagon Wheel right now, talking with a contractor about fixing up that place." he explained. "She should actually be passing back through town soon, taking that same contractor to check out fixing up the Drive-In theatre as well."

"Oh yeah," Flo said, "I've been meanin' to thank you for buying that place for the town. We can't wait to start seeing movies there again!"

"You're welcome, Flo." Lightning said modestly.

"Well, as I'm here, you want Sally's Gas 'n Go lunch special?" Flo offered.

"I think she might need it more than I do," he said with a mixture of both care and concern over Sally.

"Here, you take it, Lightning. I'll be sure to catch Sally and feed her another one as she passes through town," Flo assured him, as she began pouring the gas in his tank, and giving him the oil to sip on.

"Thanks Flo," Lightning said gratefully. "You're good cars, you know that?"

"Thanks, Lightning." Flo said modestly herself now. "But you know Miss Sally is real good cars. That gal 'be drivin' herself way too hard these days. I'm trying to help her by doin' her bookkeeping and other stuff. But she's just tryin' to do way too much."

"I know, Flo," Lightning sighed with resignation, " . . . and I guess it's partly my fault."

"Now don't you go blamin' yourself for all the good you're bringing to this town, Lightning." Flo reassured him. "You're the best thing that's happened to us in 40 years."

"But what good does it all do if it winds up burning Sally out, and maybe the rest of you, too?" Lightning asked with surprising candor.

"It's nice to see you caring about Miss Sally," Flo said with a smile towards Lightning. "Does my engine good to see that, it does! Don't you worry though. We'll try and see what we all can do to get her to slow down a bit, and maybe steer her in your direction some."

"You'd do that? For me . . . I mean for her?" Lightning stammered.

"Yes I would, Lightning." Flo said assuredly. "Miss Sally's had it a bit rough at times in the past. Promised her I wouldn't tell nobody. But she deserves someone like you now. I didn't think so when you first came to town, to be honest . . . but I do now."

"Flo . . ." Lightning said turning to her, "Is there anything I can do for you . . . in thanks?"

"Just take care of Miss Sally the best you can . . . and don't give up on her," Flo said as she turned back towards the V-8 Cafe.

Lightning looked at Flo as she then departed up the road.

"I love this town," he said quietly to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Sure enough, when Lightning arrived over at the newly opened Racing Museum to give Mater a midday break, the Robinsons were already there waiting for their personal tour, sipping on their quarts of oil from Flo's.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson," Lightning greeted them, "Hope your cone's comfortable . . . I mean 'cozy'!" he corrected himself, trying to keep in line with the motel's title and marketing image. Lightning liked to do his marketing right now, even for Sally . . . especially for Sally.

"Oh yes, Mr. McQueen . . . I mean Lightning!" Mrs. Robinson said enthusiastically. "Our cone's great, and we haven't even checked out the surrounding countryside yet!"

"You don't want to miss a drive through the Cadillac Range west of town here." Lightning suggested. "The sunrises and sunsets are great from the Wheel Well viewpoint, and Sally Carrera will be reopening the historic Wheel Well Motor Court before long."

"But maybe save that for tomorrow," he continued, "because at Five O'clock on Saturday nights, when I'm in town, I like to take a few demonstration turns around the dirt track here just outside of town at Willie's Butte. Plus the Fabulous Hudson Hornet will even give a few pointers to anyone interested in dirt racing. Then we wrap it all up with a cruise party through town under the neon with outdoor music. We call it 'Radiator Springs Racing Night' and donations go to help continuing to restore our town and beautifying the surrounding highway and countryside! These don't happen all the time, so 'ya might not want to miss it."

"Wow, what a vacation this is turning out to be here!" Mr. Robinson said with growing excitement. "You are the nicest racecar, Mr. McQueen! Say, would you mind autographing our room's shami cloths back at the motel?"

"Well, Sally may be running a little low on those," Lightning said with a little uncertainty as to whether he could just be giving away the motel's cloths, " . . . but I'll see what I can do."

"But hey," he said, changing the subject, "let me check in with Mater here so he can go, before we start touring the museum."

"Thanks bud!" Mater said, just getting off the phone as Lightning pulled up at the museum's desk. "I be running my tow biznuss out of the museum here now, as Miss Sally needs somebody here. So answer the phone when it rings, 'kay? I've got to catch up with a lot of towing whilst I've been gone with you, plus three new jobs . . . and I haven't even had lunch yet! So you've got this the rest of the day, 'kay?"

"Mater . . ." Lightning tried to say, uncertain as to whether he wanted to be pinned down at the museum or not.

"I knew I could count on you, good buddy!" Mater said blithely as he zoomed out the museum's door.

Now Lightning really was beginning to appreciate what Sally had been having to deal with. He realized he didn't know how to deal with it all, either. But an idea or two started coming to him, however.

"Now folks, let's show you around the museum," Lightning said, turning to the Robinsons. "I may have to break away to answer the phone or take care of other things at times, but let's 'start our engines', okay? Ah, I see we have a few more joining us."

"Lightning McQueen!" a group of college co-ed girl cars swooned. They'd been hunting for him all over town.

"Hey, that _is_ Lightning McQueen!" other college cars, which Lightning with relief perceived to be their boyfriends, now joined in as they all crowded in through the museum's front door.

"Okay, folks!" Lightning said, trying to keep everyone organized. Normally, he'd be just basking in the glow of adoring fans, but now he was also having to keep things from getting out of hand in the museum . . . without any help!

"Just drop your admissions in the decorated oil barrel over there," he directed, "and we'll get this tour started. Plus I will sign autographs at the end of the tour!"

Suddenly, he had a thought.

"Excuse me for just a second folks . . ." Lightning said as he tried to make his way through the crowd to the phone desk.

He hurriedly dialed Mack's mobile number.

"Come on Mack, answer!" Lightning said as the phone rang, hoping he'd pick up.

"Lightning McQueen's Radiator Springs Racing Team, Mack here," he finally responded.

"Mack, thank goodness!" Lightning said with relief. "Could you please get over to the museum and help me handle the crowd I've got here?"

"Uhh, I'm not sure you want me to do that . . ." Mack replied cautiously as he spoke unusually quietly through the phone.

"Why not?" Lightning asked almost incredulously.

"'Cause I've got a crowd of fans in search of you surrounding me!" Mack said nervously.

"Bring 'em over Mack. We'll deal with them together," Lightning responded. "It's better than struggling with them separately, don't 'ya think?"

"They'll freak when I tell them this!" Mack warned. "Ready or not, here we come! We'll be over in five or less!"

"Okay, I'll run a tour with the group I've got," Lightning replied. "Hold your folks in the lobby until I show up back here. Then you run your group through the wings while I stay out in the lobby, signing autographs and answering the phone. Deal?"

"Uhh . . . when do I get lunch in all this?" Mack asked.

"I'll get Flo to deliver, okay? Gotta jet here, bye!" Lightning responded in a rushed but quiet voice as he began to be surrounded by his fans waiting for their tour.

_When do__ I get a break in all this? And even time with Sally?_ Lightning began to wonder to himself.

"Okay folks, right this way," he nonetheless invited as he began to usher them to the first wing.

Just then he heard a familiar Porsche engine whiz by along the road.

_Darn! Missed Sally,_ Lightning thought to himself with disappointment. He was looking forward to even a second with her as she passed back through town. While he had always adored fan attention in the past, all this overwhelming busyness was getting a little bit much for even Lightning McQueen now.

But just as he was about to start the tour for the second or third time now, he heard that Porsche backtrack and pull into the museum.

"Stickers!" he heard through the crowd.

"Sal! Over here!" Lightning responded enthusiastically. "Excuse me again for just a second, folks!"

"Oh, Stickers!" Sally said with heartfelt relief as she almost collapsed against him. "I just looked for you at the motel . . . thanks for the great job there, everything seems to be just right!"

"Sal, I've missed you today," Lightning said quietly through another forced smile for camera wielding fans who wanted to catch him in a candid moment with the car that now appeared to be his girlfriend. Lightning now wasn't going to make the same mistake twice in missing any chance to say what he really wanted to Sally, even if it had to be in public.

"Oh, Stickers . . ." Sally began to dreamily say, half with exhaustion as she continued to rest against him. "Wait . . . oh my goodness!" she now said with increasing alarm and nervousness as she began to take in at all the cars and cameras flashing around them together. "Wait a minute here. He . . . I . . . we're just friends! I'm not his hood ornament!" she blurted out.

"Oh gosh, did I say that? . . . I mean friends . . . just friends, folks . . ." she then apologized with extreme nervousness and embarrassment. "Gotta go!"

Sally almost zoomed through the crowd and out of the museum.

"Sally . . ." Lightning called after her, but he could see it was no use.

It had happened again! She had left him suddenly again before they had a chance to really say much of anything. Lightning felt almost abandoned by Sally now as he looked to the door she had left through.

_We're supposed to be a team around here, Sal . . ._ he thought sadly as he kept looking through the door. _Real teammates and friends don't run out on each other._

As the cameras continued to flash though, Lightning realized he had no choice but to quickly pull himself back together. He knew that appearing before fans could be every bit as demanding and unforgiving as racing out on the track.

"Right this way folks," he tried to say brightly as he began the tour for the now large crowd, still half looking out that door. "Now at the first stop over here, we have . . ."

— — — — —

As Lightning led his tour group out of the museum's main building and into the still-to-be-developed open air courtyard a short time later, he spotted something, or rather someone, that spelled relief to him.

"Mack! Thank goodness you're here!" Lightning said loudly.

"Lightning, me comrade!" Mack said in salutation. "We forgot, I don't fit inside the museum's lobby, so I'll just have to help out here in the courtyard. Now where's that lunch? I'm running on fumes here!"

"Oh sorry, Mack, I forgot!" Lightning apologized. "Hey, take over this group here, and I'll go phone in the delivery order to Flo's right now, okay?"

"Okay . . . but I'm not sure they're going to stay with me here," Mack said cautiously.

"Don't worry, Mack, I can handle anyone who wants to follow me." Lightning assured. He felt better having a teammate and friend around, even just on the same property.

"Okay everyone," Lightning announced, "My teammate Mack is going to continue the tour on from here. Anyone who wants to follow me back to the museum lobby is welcome to. I'll be signing autographs as soon as I make a phone call."

Mack was soon left virtually alone in the courtyard, except for one elderly lady DeSoto.

"Well, miss," Mack said optimistically, "I'll be happy to show you around!"

"Excuse me, sonny, I have a question," the DeSoto said.

"Yes?" Mack responded eagerly awaiting her question.

"Which way did Lightning McQueen go?"

— — — — —

"Okay, folks . . . just excuse me and look around while I make this call here." Lightning announced while quickly making it behind the museum's front counter before he was surrounded by the throng of fans.

He dialed the number for Flo's Cafe while trying to hunch over the speakerphone to keep the conversation more private. Fortunately the noise of the crowd in the lobby was so great though, that he didn't really have to worry about being overheard. Lightning had more than just a lunch order he wanted to talk with Flo about.

The phone rang and a high-pitched female voice answered. "Hello . . . Flo's V-8 Cafe, Tia speaking."

Lightning braced himself, knowing what was going to happen next.

"Uh, hi Tia. This is Lightning . . ." he said with another of his forced smiles, while he moved back from the phone.

"OHHHHHHH, LIGHTNING!" A loud high-pitched scream came through the phone, as he winced apologetically to nearby visitors who were suddenly startled out of their wits by Tia's screaming.

"It's okay, folks," Lightning tried to reassure everyone. "I'll be through with this call here in just a minute!"

Unfortunately the crowd was now intent on photographing him on the phone, while several of them even began shoving portable recording tape players at him.

"Look, just give me some space and a minute here folks." Lightning said trying to dissuade them. "Just ordering lunch for a friend, okay?"

At least the microphones and tape players were pulled away, and most of the crowd returned to looking around the lobby.

Returning to the phone, Lightning asked, "Hey Tia. Could you put Flo on for me?"

"Anything for you, Lightning!" the excited reply came.

A moment later, another voice came on the phone saying, "Hi Lightning, I could tell it was you on the phone here . . . from across the parking lot!"

"Sorry Flo," Lightning apologized. "You know Tia . . ."

"Yes I know Tia," Flo responded, " . . . and I _know_ she won't be answering phones here anymore! Now just stick to taking orders out, okay Tia? . . . Sorry, Lightning, what's up?"

Lightning almost felt sorry now for Tia, but he had something else on his mind.

"Two things, Flo," he began. "First, we need one of your Gas 'n Go specials delivered for Mack over at the museum here. Diesel please, and synthetic truck oil."

"Could you send Mack over here?" Flo interrupted. "We're just swamped here at the cafe. Can't do deliveries right now."

"Sure Flo, Mack'll go over there," Lightning replied.

"What's the other thing?" Flo now asked.

Lightning hesitated, looking around. "Flo, Sally was just scared out of here by all the fans and attention around me," he then practically whispered into the phone. "She got real nervous with all the cameras flashing around us when she came to see me for a moment, and she nervously blurted out something about not being my 'hood ornament' to everyone . . . that she was 'just a friend'. Do you know what that's about? I kinda want to know . . . quietly please."

"Oh . . ." Flo said softly, pausing. "Sorry, Lightning. Can't talk about that. Promised."

"Oh, okay . . . thanks Flo," he responded quietly. "I think that's helpful anyway."

"Hang in there, Lightning," Flo said knowingly. "Remember, don't give up. I'll see what I can do later."

"Thank you, Flo," Lightning whispered gratefully. "I truly appreciate that! You're a real friend!"

"So are you, Lightning. So are you. Got orders to get out here. Bye!" Flo's voice ended on the phone.

Lightning felt better having made that call. It was like getting a little shot of octane, right when he needed it.

Seeing that he was off the phone now, fans started to once again crowd closer to him, not only flashing cameras, but now holding up a variety of things they wanted autographed.

"Just one second more folks," Lightning stalled.

"Hey Mack! . . . Mack!" he yelled out the door to the courtyard.

"Yessir!" Mack yelled back.

"Sorry Mac," Lightning apologized, "but you're going to have to go over to Flo's to get your lunch. They can't deliver right now."

"No problemo, boss!" Mack said. "It's just me and the bugs out here anyway . . . everyone's in there with you! Want anything from Flo's?"

"Yeah, Mack," Lightning responded. "One high-grade synthetic racing oil . . . no, make it two! I could be in here a while!"

"You got it compadre!" Mack said. "Just don't forget about your Five O'clock demonstration laps around the track."

"Send someone in here to come and get me at Four-Thirty, okay?" Lightning requested. "On second thought . . . make that several someones. Actually, send in the Sheriff for me . . . with Sarge!"

"Do you still want your oil before then?" Mack inquired loudly with concern, not able to see Lightning inside the lobby.

"No thanks, just hold it for me for now . . ." Lightning yelled across the crowd to Mack as he now found himself inundated with autograph requests. "Okay, who do you want me to make this out to?" he then began, addressing the first fan who managed to place a Lightning McQueen poster in front of him on the museum's counter.

The crowd was pressing for his attention, and Lightning prided himself on always putting on a good show for his fans.

— — — — —

As the contractor did his 'look-round', taking photographs and measurements, Sally paused and looked back from the Drive-In at the crowd now spilling out the Racing Museum's doors nearby. She knew Lightning was in there, and sensed that he could use her help . . . and support.

But she wasn't sure she could give him what he needed.


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay folks, make space here, make space!" Lightning finally heard through the crowd around him in the Racing Museum's lobby, much to his relief. His signing wheel was really starting to cramp up!

"More time for autographs later," the Sheriff said with his light on. "It's time for Mr. McQueen to move to our dirt track and take a few laps. That's what you all came to see, right?"

"Yeah! . . . Yes! . . . Alright!" voices in the crowd began to say in agreement and anticipation as visitors started to move back from around Lightning, and even out of the building, starting to head for the track.

Fortunately Lightning began hearing Sarge outside, starting to herd the crowd in the right direction. He also saw Red outside the door, pointing his monitor up the road.

Lightning looked up from signing his last autograph, still with a professional, but also sincere, smile on his face. "Guys!" he said, his smile widening even more, upon seeing that almost half the town had come to rescue him from the museum, as busy as Lightning knew everyone was.

Fillmore told him, "I'm just sold out, man!"

Luigi said, "Guido is handling our final tire sales for the afternoon. It's 'a time to get ready for the racing!"

Even Flo had showed up, saying, "The only way I could keep Mia and Tia focused was to put them in charge of the cafe and just come here. I don't know what I'll find when I go back!"

But Flo had also brought someone else to help escort Lightning across town to the dirt track.

Sally nervously emerged from behind Flo, clearly showing Lightning through her downcast glance that she felt she had let him down. Flo gave Lightning a knowing look, inviting him to motor over beside Sally as they started to leave the museum, escorted by the Sheriff and others.

"I'll lock up behind 'ya all," Flo said, moving behind the two of them.

After an exhausting afternoon of meeting and greeting his fans single-handed, Lightning was very glad to see Sally, no matter what had happened earlier. He could see that she needed his understanding, and encouragement. He was also determined not to let this opportunity that Flo had clearly helped arrange between them get away.

"Hi, Sal . . . I am so glad to see you," Lightning said softly to her in the middle of the crowd that surrounded them, as he nudged up against her.

"Hi, Stickers . . ." Sally nervously said still looking down.

Flo had obviously said something to her, because Sally's demeanor now changed as she motored slowly alongside Lightning into town along the road, as a crowd continued to surround them.

"Stickers," Sally began talking quietly to him as she looked at him directly now, "Hey, I'm sorry for what happened earlier . . . I . . ." She had trouble continuing as she looked down again.

"Hey, Sally . . . whatever it is, it's alright," Lightning quietly assured her. "I just need you . . . I want you . . . on my team, on our team, okay?"

"That's just it," Sally responded with some sadness. "There's a lot you don't know about me — a lot that's happened before. I can't talk about it now . . . especially out here in the middle of everyone," she laughed briefly. "But I'll try to, sometime. For now, just know that there are reasons why I do, or can't do, things sometimes . . . okay?"

"Being out here with you, in front of cameras for instance, really makes me nervous," she quietly confided to him. "I'll try explaining why at some point. Know that I'm trying right now though, okay? Flo just told me not to give up. She told me that cars like you don't come to town here every day, and I believe her."

"Sally," Lightning gently responded, "this means a lot to me . . . everything in fact. Hey, is there anything I can do for you, right now?"

"Oh, Stickers . . ." Sally sighed, deeply touched by his gesture. "I'd suggest a drive, just the two of us, up to the Wheel Well . . . but I know you've got an appointment with the track, and we've all gotta make 'Radiator Springs Racing Night' a success here."

"So," she said, touching a fender to him, "Could we just do all this together tonight? I promise I'll try not to bug out on you again."

"Sally Carrera, Ka-Chow! Absolutely!" Lightning said, gladly accepting her suggestion, and her offer.

"And hey," Lightning offered, wanting to go the extra mile for her, "if you need to disappear to the shadows . . . you know, take care of other things . . . as long as I know we're part of a team together, I'm great with whatever you feel you need to do, okay?"

"Lightning," Sally said, stopping them both as they arrived at the intersection and turning to face him despite the crowd pressing around them, "Do you know just how good that makes me feel?"

"This good!" she said as she boldly kissed him right in front of everyone.

A loud cheer went up among the crowd as dozens of cameras flashed away.

Doc pulled up next to Flo as they tried to stay close behind Lightning and Sally.

"Flo, you done good," he said quietly to her with satisfaction.

"It's not over yet, but they've turned a corner," Flo responded, also quietly. "Pardon the pun," she added.

Doc didn't ask Flo what she meant by her veiled metaphor, but he had his own ideas. Feeling the pain of his crack, he also had ideas of what might need to happen, soon.

Continuing together along the side street out towards the dirt track still surrounded by crowds and their flashing cameras, Sally quietly confided with Lightning.

"I took a risk just now," she quietly said to him, looking ahead as they slowly motored along. "There are parts of my history that can bite me, still hurt me. They're part of the reason I left my law practice in L.A. and broke down here. I can't explain it all right now, but I need to know that you'll be with me if anything comes up . . . or is revealed, okay? Just so you know though, I didn't do anything wrong. And it won't hurt you or your sponsors . . . just me. And believe me, it's painful," she concluded, fighting off tears.

"Sally," Lightning said, making a decision on the spot, "I am here for you, no matter what. And I'll make sure the entire team . . . the entire town . . . is here for you, too."

"Some of them already are," she quietly replied. "Remember, I've been here a while."

"You know," she hinted to him as she looked over at him now, "you could wind up being stuck with me . . . for a long time."

"Hey," he said, "I already know what long races are about. I think I'm ready to learn what long times are about, too."

"Excuse me!" they both heard as bright camera lights focused on them.

"Dana Starlighter from Streets Tonight Entertainment News TV. We couldn't help noticing, Lightning, that you seem to be with someone here. Are you two seeing each other? Are you prepared to say anything?"

While being direct with the press was his style, Lightning looked at Sally, gently smiling, and allowing her the option of saying as much or as little as she chose.

Sally took a breath and looked directly at the reporter. "Yes," she confirmed, "Lightning and I are seeing each other now. We're together."

"We are," he concurred beside her. Cameras began to flash wildly, as Lightning then gave Sally a proud, admiring smile.

"Your name, miss?" Starlighter asked.

"Carrera. Sally Carrera," the blue Porsche now more confidently answered.

"Lightning McQueen, do you think this will perhaps diminish your image and popularity to some degree, especially with your single fans?" Starlighter then boldly asked.

"Not at all," Lightning responded directly as he kept looking at Sally. "Finding one car, one special car, never hurt The King. So why should it hurt me? I just hope that my single fans find for themselves what I'm beginning to discover here with Sally. Besides, I'm here to race, and I don't intend to stop doing that. Racing is what my fans are here for, too."

"So you two are serious then?" Starlighter probed.

Lightning looked at Sally for a minute. They both smiled.

"Yes . . . Yes . . ." they each said.

As the cameras continued to flash wildly around them, Sally now quietly confided to Lightning through her own forced smile, "Well, I may have done it now. And 'ya know, Flo was right, 'jumping off the cliff of fear' in life — facing and doing the thing you've come to be most afraid of — doesn't feel so bad once you do it."

"Sally, I can't tell you how much this means to me . . ." Lightning said back to her through his own trademark forced smile.

"You just did, Stickers," she said back to him as they continued smiling for the cameras together.

"And you know," she now said openly, facing him, "You are worth it," as she gave him another direct kiss, almost just for the cameras now, to wild cheers around them.

"Kaaa-CHOWWW!" was all Lightning could say as she ended their kiss.

"Shall we get you down to the track?" Sally offered.

"Right you are!" he said to her.

"You just remember how right I am, and we'll do great," she said to him playfully.

"Okay folks!" Lightning said more loudly to everyone now. "It's time for me to put on some moves for everyone . . . and for my girlfriend here, Sally."

She just smiled warmly at him, as they now motored slowly down to the track together, while the Sheriff, Red, and Sarge controlled the growing crowds safely on the viewing bank nearby.

"You want me to start you, Stickers?" Sally asked.

"Please!" Lightning responded.

"Okay, start your engine!" she called loudly for everyone to hear, putting on a show with him now.

Lightning happily revved loudly in compliance.

"Get set!" Sally continued in front of him from the other side of the start line.

Lightning hunched down as he revved some more.

"GO!" she exclaimed.

Off Lightning tore from the start like he almost never had before, throwing up a big cloud of dust behind him. The assembled crowd roared and cheered with approval.

"Sally has got to become part of my active team!" Lightning said to himself as he went into the turn around Willie's Butte. "Part of my show . . . our show . . . our act!"

Lightning banked high up the side of the bowl through the turn around the butte, as high as he dared without starting to slide sideways.

"Yeah! Ka-Chow!" he said, pleased with the turn as he returned to the level straightaway, and prepared for the flat dirt turn.

Boldly accelerating, he briefly turned his front wheels left, he then shifted them right as he felt the rest of him swing sideways into the turn.

"Come on Stickers," Sally said from the start line with increasing loudness, "NAIL THAT TURN!"

Lightning emerged from the turn pointed right up the straightaway back to Willie's Butte and accelerated flat out.

"WHOO-HOO!" Sally cheered as loudly as she could as he zoomed by her.

"It's 'Ka-Chow'!" he reminded her as he zoomed away, preparing for his second turn around Willie's Butte.

"Sorry!" she called after him.

As Lightning was making his second lap, Luigi crossed the track and passed his treasured Ferrari checkered flag to Sally.

"Here," he said, "You wave-a him across the finish line."

"Oh Luigi," Sally said, knowing how much this flag meant to him. "Thank you so much! We'll be careful with it."

Luigi now left her, darting back across the track saying, "This is-a your show with Lightning! Go-a for it!"

Luigi turned back around next to Flo now near the crowd on the other side of the track. Sally saw Flo give her an encouraging wink. Sally gave Flo a thankful smile and wink back.

Lightning was already making his second run around the flat dirt turn.

"How many more?" Sally yelled at him as he approached.

"Three!" he yelled back as he passed her.

"Here," Doc said as he now motored across the track towards Sally.

"Try this on," he continued as he put his Crew Chief's headset on her. "Looks good on you. Now talk to him."

"Stickers?" Sally cautiously said into the mike.

"Sally!" Lightning responded back, amazed and delighted to hear her voice coming in on his crew radio.

"I don't want to distract you," she said guardedly.

"You're not a distraction to me, Sally. Just talk me through," Lightning replied, making clear he was still focused on what he was doing.

"Okay, you're doing great!" she said, easing into her role she'd just been given as his coach. "The crowd has really been wowed by both your high bank turns, and you have been just nailing that dirt turn, Stickers!"

"Thanks! Way to go, Sally!" he replied as he slid through the dirt turn for the third time. "You'd be good at what you're doing!"

"Keep focused," she radioed back, changing the subject. "Two more laps, right? Total of five."

"Correct," Lightning replied as he now went through the bank turn around the butte.

_Sally's right,_ he thought. _Business, and safety, now._

"Watch your approach to the dirt turn," she cautioned. "It looks like you're a little off."

"Thanks!" Lightning responded as he made a small correction and commenced the turn again.

_Wow! She is good!_ he thought briefly as he slid smoothly through the turn.

Doc had motored back across the track, and was now next to Mack, having had him turn on his crew radio. Doc, too now smiled with satisfaction at listening to how Sally was doing on the radio.

"Wearing this thing means I can't wildly cheer you as you pass by!" Sally said as Lightning zoomed by her, starting his fourth lap.

"You can still say 'Ka-Chow' though!" he replied.

"When you've earned it after the next bank and dirt turns!" she responded playfully.

"Done deal!" he accepted as he rose into the bank turn once again.

Both Sally and Lightning each began to sense how natural these new working roles were feeling to them.

"Good turn!" she said, "But let's see if we can amp both turns and the straightaways up a notch for the final lap for a good finale!"

"Ab-so-lute-ly!" Lightning confirmed, as he accelerated further with full concentration, ready to push his limits, just a little.

He powered into the dirt turn even faster, kicking up an even bigger cloud of dust as he still smoothly slid through it.

"Ka-CHOW, baby!" Sally said admiringly to him as he passed by to start the final lap. "Take it on through and bring it home! . . . To me!"

"You got it, Sal! . . . You got me, too!" Lightning said right back, as he took it almost to the top rim this time on the banked turn around Willie's Butte, higher than he'd seen Doc go before.

_Zoom!_ he went as he leveled off along the back straightaway even faster.

"Left . . . Right . . . Slide . . ." Lightning called out confidently on the radio, as Sally raised the checkered flag in anticipation of his arrival.

The cheering crowd was getting even louder at seeing the flag, and the finale approaching.

Sally waved the checkered flag like a pro as Lightning zoomed by, and slid smoothly to a stop before the bank turn. The crowd roared in approval.

Separated by a few dozen yards along the track, they each smiled at one another as the cheering around them continued.

"Sally . . . you've been around all this before, haven't you?" he said through the radio, not knowing anyone else was listening.

"Not now, Stickers . . . please?" Sally asked gently via the radio as well.

"Okay," he accepted warmly as he motored up close to her. "I trust you . . . and I love you."

"I love you, too," she said warmly to him, as she kissed him once again. "I'll share things with you, all at the right time, okay?"

"Deal," he said reassuringly to her.

The Sheriff now came forward onto the track as emcee for the evening, announcing, "The Fabulous Hudson Hornet . . . who taught Lightning McQueen his moves around this very track . . . will now be available over at the dirt turn to share racing pointers with anyone who cares to gather over there. Meanwhile, Lightning McQueen will be signing more autographs over by his team truck and trailers until it gets dark. Then we invite you all to come over to our main street through town and cruise under our growing collection of restored neon signs! Thank you for coming, and don't forget to drop some contributions into the decorated barrels to help us continue to improve this community, and bring more events like this to you. Anything you want to add, Lightning?"

"Thank you, Sheriff," Lightning now responded, addressing the crowd from the track with Sally at his side. "I also want to encourage you to support these local townscars here, many of whom are keeping their businesses open late just for you tonight. Without these cars, who are my home team now — literally — we wouldn't all be here, or have all this to enjoy. So let's have some cheers and around of applause for the good cars of Radiator Springs, and for the town they've made it! Thank you!"

A raucous, loud cheer went up as all the locals tearfully accepted the crowd's enthusiastic applause.

With the Sheriff once again escorting them with his light on, Lightning and Sally left the track together and made their way amongst a throng of fans towards Mack and his trailers.

Sally paused both of them first by Luigi to return his flag to him.

"Grazie, segñoré," she said warmly to him.

Lightning was quietly impressed at Sally's apparently knowing Italian. He decided he was going to enjoy coming to know and appreciate her many talents, no matter what her past may have contained.

Sally then stopped herself and Lightning near Doc and Mac, offering to return the Crew Chief's headset.

"Just put it in the lead trailer if you like — or better yet, keep it on. 'Looks good on you!" Doc encouraged her.

"Yes, it does!" Lightning concurred. "Keep it on while we sign autographs here!"

"_We_ sign autographs?" Sally said to him in surprise.

"Yeah," Lightning confirmed. "You were my Starter, and my Crew Chief tonight . . . part of the show!"

"In fact, Doc, Flo," Lightning said turning to them, "could you get a digital photo of us together in front of Mack and the trailers here, and run off copies on the color copier I just got for you guys over at the Town Hall for Sally and I to sign together? We'll donate the proceeds to the town for further repairs and improvements. I think we could sell hundreds of these for five, no ten bucks apiece! Way better for the town than what I was doing this afternoon, giving away autographs for free . . . which I'll still do here anyway."

Lightning knew Sally couldn't refuse such an idea that would benefit the town.

"Okay," Sally said knowingly to him, "'Ya got me. I'm in!"

"Ka-Chow!" Lightning said, winking at her with a big smile.

He was never so happy now as he paired up with Sally in front of the team trailers, as Flo shanghaied 'Snaps' Ollisen, the senior photographer for the Carburetor County Gazette, to take Lightning and Sally's first official picture together. Still wearing the Crew Chief's headset, even Sally had to admit she fit right in with Lightning now.

"Okay Sally, I'll let you in on one of my little trade secrets here," Lightning whispered to her as they lined up for the camera. "For photos, I kinda modify my 'ka-chow' into sort of a 'ka-chang' or 'ka-ching'. It produces a better smile that way."

"You know your stuff, don't you?" she whispered back admiringly to him. "On and off the track."

"Hey, this is a complete package and operation here," he said warmly to her, "and you're part of it now."

For an instant, that caused Sally to freeze and look down. Lightning could tell something was wrong as he quietly nudged her supportively.

She quickly looked back up at him and quietly assured, "I'm okay. Don't worry, Stickers, I'm not going to bolt here. I've promised you that now. There's something I need to talk about with you though, but not now, okay?"

"I gotcha, Sally . . . I understand," Lightning said softly to her as he continued to supportively nudge her. "You let me know if you need a moment or two to yourself, okay?"

"Thanks, Stickers." she said appreciatively. "But 'ya know, I think I'm good — better with you tonight than without."

"Me, too!" he echoed. "Way better with you, than without!"

They both wound up smiling broadly to each other.

_Flash!_ "Perfect shot!" Snaps exclaimed, "Best I've enjoyed taking in some time! Now how about keeping those smiles, but looking at the camera this time!"

Sally laughed as they faced the camera now. Her smile continued to be radiant, natural, relaxed and warm as Snaps took more photos of her and Lightning together. Lightning felt his own smile was bigger and better tonight, too. As a few more photos were taken, he was realizing that Sally was showing herself to be as polished as he was, without crowding him or stealing the show. Once he had not wanted to share the spotlight with anyone. Now, Lightning couldn't imagine not sharing his spotlight with Sally.

"Okay," Snaps said. "That's a wrap! I'll go with Flo here over to the Town Hall, and we'll be back with stacks of the best two photos as quick as we can."

Lightning and Sally relaxed together for a moment, gently leaning into each other as crowds buzzed and grew around them, while Guido and Luigi were still setting up their autograph table next to the team trailers.

All of a sudden, Lightning became a little sad though, as he realized that tomorrow, he, Mack, and at least Doc and Guido, and hopefully Mater, would have to hit the road again, both to meet with his agent, Harv, in L.A., and for another string of races through New Mexico and Texas. Sally looked at Lightning, and could tell something wasn't right.

"What is it, Stickers?" she gently asked despite the crowd around them. "Tell me."

Lightning looked at her and reluctantly said, "Tomorrow, I have to hit the road again. I just got here last night and have been working all day today. I'm glad we're sharing tonight, but I wish we had tomorrow. I also know you're swamped with both our business affairs, but I wish you could come with me. You'd be a wonderful part of this team, Sal, you really would."

Sally looked down for a moment, but then looked back at him.

"Do you feel tired? Like sleeping much tonight?" she asked.

"Well, ordinarily I'd be really ready to sack out in my trailer after something like all this." he confessed. "But right now, I don't want to miss a moment while I'm here with you."

"Tell you what," she offered. "As the Neon Cruise winds down in town, let's quickly check on things at the Cozy Cone together, and then go for a nighttime drive to the Wheel Well where we can watch the moon and stars over the valley together, and we'll talk . . . really talk. About everything, okay?"

"Sally, you don't know how much this means to me," Lightning said.

"Yeah, I think I actually do," she said warmly back to him. "And you know, it's beginning to mean just as much to me, too. That's why I'm ready to talk. I kinda wish I'd been ready now a while ago."

"You've been worth the wait though, Sally Carrera," he said back to her.

"Ohh, Stickers . . ." she simply sighed to Lightning as she nuzzled against him.

Flo now zoomed back with the first batches of photos.

"Okay," she said, "here is the first round of the best two. Snaps is still cranking out more, but here 'ya go to get started."

"Alright everyone!" Flo announced turning to the crowd. "We have the first official photos of Lightning and Sally together for sale right here. Just ten bucks each including their personally signed autographs. Two different pictures. Line forms right over towards the left here."

The fans practically zoomed into forming an orderly line.

Even Flo was amazed. "Didn't know I had that kind of power in me!" she said.

Lightning and Sally paused to take a first look at their photos. One was of them looking and warmly smiling at each other, and the other was of them smiling at the camera.

"Yeah . . ." Sally softly said, almost tearing up with joy as she leaned against him.

"Yeah . . ." Lightning echoed, looking first at the photos and then admiringly at her.

Lightning picked up the first two copies of each photo. Then, handing them to Guido while still looking at Sally, Lightning said, "Guido, could you stash these in my trailer for now. Sally and I are keeping these first ones here."

"Okay!" Guido replied as he took the photos and zoomed around into Lightning's trailer.

"Showtime?" Sally asked.

"Showtime!" Lightning agreed as they proceeded to take pens from Flo and start signing their autographs on each, as Flo remained beside them and sold the pictures. Lightning signed first, then passing each picture over to Sally to sign. She added a little touch though, drawing a small heart in between their names as she signed hers simply "Sally" beneath his.

Lightning looked over and started to notice that. "Way to go, Sal!" he said quietly to her.

"Yeah, I like it," she said softly back to him. "I really like it . . . and this."

— — — — —

Together with Flo, they sold and signed those photos 'til way past sundown. Mack turned on both the trailer lights, as well as his own headlights to provide enough light to see by. Guido was fetching more and more photos from Town Hall as fast as Snaps could print them. Not wanting to disappoint a single fan, Lightning and Sally kept signing photos until the last car in line had what they wanted.

That last fan was Flo, who said, "Now these two photos are going up front and center at the cafe! And I'm not even going to start counting all the money you two made for the town tonight, at least right now! You better get on over to the Neon Cruise quick now though, before they start shutting off the lights."

"Can I take this headset off now?" Sally asked, turning to Lightning with a degree of fatigue.

"Sure, Sal." Lightning said, smiling. "Guido, could you help relieve her of it and put it back where it goes in the lead trailer?"

"Okay!" Guido quipped in his usual way as he helped lift off Sally's headset, then speeding off with it to the trailer.

"You up for a cruise?" Lightning offered to Sally.

"Barely," Sally confided at first, her fatigue catching up with her now. Regaining some strength though as she looked at him, she added, "But no matter what, I want to have our talk tonight."

"Don't worry," Lightning assured to her. "First we'll cruise nice 'n slow, and then get cans of Octane Boost to go from Flo's to keep us running, okay?"

"Deal," she said as she leaned against him as they motored off to join the last cruise down the boulevard through town.

Sally just continued to lean against Lightning, both relaxed and half-fatigued, as they motored up and down the street through town together under the changing neon lights, as oldies played on loudspeakers strung along the tops of the still-closed storefronts in the center of town. Lightning and Sally still acknowledged and waived at fans with a smile as more photos were taken of them slowly cruising together.

_I still don't know if I can go with you,_ Sally now thought to herself as she looked at him while they cruised. _But I'm ready to tell you why._

_Note: As always CARS characters from the movie are the property of Pixar. Reporter Dana Starlighter and photographer "Snaps" Ollisen (with a tip of the hat to Superman's cub photographer, Jimmy Olson) are my own inventions, so far as I know._

— _Norwesterner_


	5. Chapter 5

After Lightning and Sally got their Octane Boosts from Flo's, they quickly checked on how things were at the Cozy Cone. On the office door, they spotted a note tacked there by none other than Sarge . . .

_Good evening Miss Carrera,_

_Just to let you know that I've been making__  
periodic patrols to the motel through the evening,  
helping a few guests check-in, and answering a  
few questions and requests that came up._

_All secure as of 2200._

_Signed,__  
Sarge_

"Aww, how nice," Sally said. "He's never done that for me before. I'll have to thank him!"

Turning to Lightning, she asked, "Ready for our drive?"

"Are you sure you want to go all that way tonight?" Lightning responded.

"Even though I'm tired . . . yeah, I do," she responded. "The Wheel Well is an important place to me. I've thought, dreamed, made wishes there. I've gone there when I had no hope, and somehow, it seemed to support me. I found strength there to go on. I want to go there tonight to kind of bring things full circle . . . to let the place itself know that I feel that the dreams and wishes I entrusted to it could finally be coming true. I hope that doesn't sound too weird," she confessed to him.

"No," Lightning responded warmly, "it doesn't. I'm glad you have such a special place, and are willing to share it with me. And I like hearing that your dreams may finally be coming true."

"Uh . . . well, I just have this feeling . . . now . . . 'ya know . . ." she said awkwardly, blushing.

Lightning just smiled.

"Just stick close," she said, quickly changing the subject, "and I'll lead the way with my lights . . . since you don't have any."

"I know, I know," Lightning admitted. "I probably should get some one of these days."

Fortunately the moon was out and bright as they made their way out of town into the Cadillac Range. They could see so well in fact that Lightning suggested Sally try turning out her headlights for a stretch, and they just drive by moonlight. But after encountering one dark, sharp corner . . .

"Nah," Sally said turning her lights back on. "Let's just drive with them on. But hey, drive up here beside me. I think you've seen enough of my rear end and tail lights for now!"

"But I like them!" Lightning playfully said.

"Well, I don't mind if you like them," Sally mischievously replied, "but the rest of me would like your attention, too."

"Kaaa-Chowww!" Lightning said appreciatively as he moved alongside her.

They laughed as the continued up the winding road, first through the woods, and then up into the mountains. Cadillac Falls roared amid the dark shadows of its canyon as the two cars passed over the bridge in front of it together, before they continued up another series of curves along the mountainside.

Finally, they arrived at the Wheel Well overlook. Sally sighed as she parked, moving right up against Lightning. They just enjoyed a quiet moment together as the looked out over Ornament Valley, now brightly bathed in moonlight.

"Sally," Lightning said, finally breaking their silence, " . . . this moment, right now, with you, is better than any moment I've ever spent in victory lane on any track I've won on. I'm good at what I do, and I've enjoyed it — but in a way, this is better."

"But your style and success at racing is part of who you are," Sally replied, "part of what I like, even admire, about you. Yeah this place is mellowing you, even maturing you in some good ways. But don't stop racing now. Everyone here enjoys being part of your 'Radiator Springs Racing Team'!"

"Sally," Lightning said, taking advantage of an opening to go into what he really wanted to share as he continued looking out over the valley, "I want you on my team, now and always . . . and not just up in the stands, but right down on the track, in the pits. Tonight, I felt a magic happen when you became my Crew Chief there for a while. Your coaching helped me find something within myself I've never felt before. And I know you saw it, too. This is more than about just commitment — and I'll say it right now because I've been thinking it for a while with you — this is more than about even marriage. This is about being real teammates, partners, even champions . . . at the highest level. Every time I've left town lately, I've missed you, really missed you. And it's been affecting my performance on the track, especially the last two races where I came in third and fifth. I've even come in twelfth once this season so far when I was really missing you. Even Doc couldn't snap me out of it that day, and I never did that bad last season. I'm not a first-year rookie anymore, and I need to either establish a consistent, winning edge, or I'm going to fade and just be part of the Piston Cup pack. I don't want to race if that's what I'll wind up being. Sally, I feel that you and me together can be that winning combination, that unique, winning edge . . . both on and off the track."

"Lightning," Sally paused, " . . . are you proposing to me?"

"Well, I don't have the gold license plate frames for you with me tonight," he responded, kneeling down on his front tire nearest her. "But yes, I am, if you'll have me."

Sally smiled, with reservation however.

Lightning began to feel inside as if he was about to crash and burn.

"This means the world to me, Lightning," Sally began hesitantly, " . . . and is a deep dream come true for me. I'll gladly give you an initial yes, enthusiastically so . . ."

Lightning, still kneeling on one tire, couldn't help giving out a sigh of relief, as well as looking relieved, too.

"But," she continued nervously, " . . . before you accept the whole 'Sally Carrera' package into your life, I need to share some of my 'warranty details and disclosures' with you. I love you enough to want to give you a chance to opt out after what I need to tell you and share with you about my past."

Sally began to cry. Lightning moved in close against her, reassuring her, "Sally, I want you to know that you are more important to me than your past, whatever it is."

"Thank you, Lightning," she said, gently crying beside him. "But you need to know, because there's a reason I've always declined your invitations to join you on the road and at the track, and just watched you race on TV back here in town. Inwardly, I've felt terrible at times about that."

Sally took a deep breath amid her sobs, and began. "I made some real mistakes early in my life. I wasn't always a polished L.A. attorney. Even that and law school before it, was my first real attempt to escape from my past."

"I grew up in a good family, who didn't deserve what I wound up becoming for a time. It started in college where I fell, hard, for an older, hot-shot, bad-boy car who wasn't in college, but cruised the campus a fair amount looking for 'hood ornaments'. He'd become a racecar on the junior circuits and thought he was 'hot stuff'. I knew he had a reputation for picking up and casting aside girls, but I thought I could win him over, help him become better. Heck, when it came down to it, I wanted him . . . I even allowed myself to become addicted to him."

"Not wanting him to get away," she sighed, "I quickly dropped out to join him on the track in the junior circuits. Here I had been an 'A-Plus' student, with brains to beat the band; but I cast that all aside for him. I never wanted to be just a hood ornament to him though — I've always hated that. Even at my worst, I had too much self-respect for that. I wanted more of his attention though, but I also wanted something of a career, or at least some kind of meaningful role for myself. So I watched and learned things on the track. I was always a quick study, and I picked up on things around the track very easily . . . almost without trying. Who knows? Maybe I should have tried racing in some form myself. I tried to advise him though, give him pointers, even spy for him among other pit crews and teams, anything to win his favor. I kinda got a bad rep on the track for a while, other cars kept their distance from this guy's 'Gal Sal'. Fortunately, I looked a lot wilder back then, so I might not be easily recognized now. Eventually he made the Piston Cup circuit, and he's still there. I'm not ready to tell you who he is quite yet though, so please respect that."

"One time in an early-season Piston Cup circuit race," Sally continued, "his Crew Chief was drunk and passed out during the race. The rest of his crew were as dumb as posts at that time . . . he was still needing to learn that he even needed a good crew. So I saw my chance to try to 'advance' with this racecar, and I just grabbed the Crew Chief headset and took over, knowing exactly what to do, because I'd been studying it all carefully a dozen times over. And after he'd been consistently finishing second at best . . . usually a lot lower down . . . darn if I didn't help him win that race. I had the pit crew all set for fast turn-arounds, I talked him through the pack repeatedly. I got him across the finish line first."

"But you know what he did to me later in thanks?" she posed. "He crashed me up good, saying no 'hood ornament' was ever going to be seen helping him on the track. At the time there was no such thing as a female Crew Chief — I've still never seen one, even on TV. The Piston Cup circuit has been a very 'macho' world, one where gals are just expected to be either on the stage, or in the stands. He thought I'd ruin his image, make him look like a 'sissy car' . . . and scare away his chances to score with other 'hood ornaments'. The screwy thing was, he still wanted me around him, but not out front. I initially wanted to stay for deluded reasons, but when I tried to leave, he found me and crashed me up again. I think he feared that I could see and know too much about how he raced for him to risk me being anywhere else but where he could keep an eye on me. I left for good though when we hit a town where an uncle who cared about me lived. My uncle got me cleaned up, got me to focus and go to law school. He was a lawyer, and said I could be good, very good, at it. He was right. My uncle also helped me get an initial restraining order against this racecar."

"So I put it all behind me," Sally sighed. "No one knew my past in law school. I got painted up well, went back to being an A-Plus student, and became numb towards guy cars and love . . . something I continued when I landed a junior associate's slot at one of L.A.'s top law firms with my uncle's help. But when the Piston Cup circuit came to town one year, the racecar found me, somehow he found me. He didn't touch me, but he scared me so deeply, I quit my law practice and ran, ran right here and wound up in Radiator Springs. I still wasn't happy practicing law in L.A., but his finding me was the real reason I left. I never wanted to be found by him again. There were no laws this guy could really be nailed on at the time he did anything to me, and it's all just my word against his. No one else ever saw anything. But when I resettled here, I went to the Carburetor County Courthouse and made sure I upgraded my existing restraining order against him. The problem with you and I now is that I can't set a tire in any Piston Cup racetrack without violating my own restraining order, and getting him in legal trouble for which he could sue me over."

"So Lightning, you can see now why I can't go with you, even though every part in me wishes I could. I am a different and so much wiser car now. I wish I could do my past over again. I want to be there with you, right on the track, doing everything I can to help you win. But I can't . . . I can't!" Sally sobbed, leaning against him.

"So if you want to drive away from me right now, and us just be good friends in this town, I will very much understand, and will totally support you." she offered to him. "Identifying me now with you, the press will no doubt dig into my past and somehow find this dirt. I'll be shamed in front of the rest of the town — only Flo knows about all this, and has been my best friend and confidant here. I'll probably have to move on and start all over yet again. That was the risk I took to be with you this evening, to even kiss you in front of that crowd, and the press. But I realized I loved you more than I feared for myself, so I took the risk; mostly to let you know that it wasn't you I was having the problem with. It was me, my past."

"Funny thing was," she concluded, "once I did it, once I kissed you and stayed with you right in front of those cameras all evening . . . it came to feel like the most natural and wonderful thing in the world. I trusted my spirit tonight, instead of my brains or my caution — and it felt good, very good. But as good as it all felt to me to be with you tonight, I feel the choice has to be yours more than mine."

Lightning remained right by her side, looking over at her. "Sally," he finally said, "I'm not going to quit on you." To Sally's tearful joy, Lightning knelt right back down on that front tire and said, "My proposal stands. Do you still say yes?"

"What about my past?" she asked sadly. "What about associating with me? What about my inability to go with you?"

"Well, 'ya know," he responded, "I want to believe we can work through those, just like I work through packs on the track. I've now got resources and connections — things and cars and favors I could use to help you to have the life and the freedom to do whatever, and even be wherever, you truly want. I've never really used all that before . . . aside from giving Mater his helicopter ride. But I want to do this, and more for you now. Together, I think we can handle it. I want to handle it."

"Lightning," Sally said tearfully, "my uncle would have really liked you. I wish I could have introduced you to him. Heck, I wish I'd met and fallen for you in college!"

"I'm not sure you would have fallen for me in college," he admitted. "I wasn't always the 'ka-chow' Lightning McQueen I am now!"

"Well, that makes us even," she responded, "because as you now know, I wasn't always the 'holy Porsche' Sally Carrera I am now . . . and I did hear that when you first saw me."

"So, where do we go from here?" she asked him.

"Well, as my agent Harv would put it," he responded, "there's still the issue of an offer on the table that hasn't quite been definitely accepted yet."

Sally paused for a moment and looked at him.

"So Stickers, even knowing all you do about me now, all the baggage, all the junk in the trunk . . . you'd still choose me? Have me in your life?" she asked.

"Yes," he simply said.

"Then I will have you in mine. My answer is yes," she said as they moved to kiss each other.

They paused for a moment together, each allowing their shared decision to soak in as they continued to look over the moonlit valley below.

"Lightning," she finally said.

"Yeah, Sal . . . you don't mind if I call you Sal, given the 'Gal Sal' thing you told me about, do you?" he asked back.

"No, I don't mind you calling me Sal at all, because it's you doing it," she assured warmly. "I want to grant you your wish though," Sally continued, "and really be on your team — but I don't know how to do it. Even from a practical level, there's so many aspects involved . . . legal . . . public relations . . . so much."

"Well, let's just do what we do with the business issues you've been helping me with," Lightning suggested. "Just treat it like buying the Drive-In, or designing and building the team headquarters in town."

"Which I still haven't gotten to yet," she apologized.

"Hey, you've been working way too hard," he reassured, "I've seen it myself now today."

"You mean yesterday," she corrected. "It's way past midnight now . . . speaking of which, now that we've had our big talk and made our big decision . . . you ready for a little rest?"

"Well, you want to try 'homesteading' in the Wheel Well?" he suggested.

"Hmmm . . . tempting," she mused. "But no comfy mats, car quilts, or heaters . . . and no alarm clock to get you up on time. Besides, cars will talk if we don't emerge from our separate cones . . . for the moment, here."

"Well, you know," Lightning reflected, "It might not be so bad if cars started talking about us. Really, they already are."

"You get me those gold license plate frames," she said snuggling up next to him, "and it just might be marginally socially acceptable around here."

"Done deal," he said.

"Ready for us to get home for some needed sleep?" she gently prodded him again.

"But we've only got a few hours left together. I just don't know if I want to sleep through them back in my own cone," he said.

"Well, 'ya know . . ." she responded, now in a mood to compromise, "we could just take a nap here under the stars. And I could set my car alarm as a back-up if the sunrise doesn't wake us."

"Yeah, I'd like that," he softly agreed.

"I just wish we had a car cover to throw over us here," she confessed, feeling a bit chilled in the night air of the high mountains now.

"Well, just so happens," he began as he opened his rear hatchback, " . . . I keep this plain-jane one around for emergencies when I need to hide from the press or throngs of screaming fans. It's actually pretty thick, so they can't see my number or sponsor stickers underneath."

He proceeded to throw it over them both as she drew close to him.

"Yeah . . . this'll work," she sighed contentedly. "Mmmmmm, I've needed this, just finally relaxing . . . with you."

Looking around at their Wheel Well surroundings as Sally blissfully dozed off beside him under their shared car cover, Lightning just quietly said, "Thank you, Wheel Well . . . for helping keep Sally's dreams alive. I'll take good care of her now. And both of us will take good care of you here, too."

Sally just slightly lifted an eyelid towards him, secretively giving him a loving glance.

Lightning decided he would just sleep in his trailer during the trip to L.A. later in the day. For now, he just wanted to watch over Sally, to be aware of her next to him, to start taking care of her.

"Don't worry, Sally," he gently whispered to her. "We're going to find a way to make this work. I want you out there at the track with me — and I want that racecar to see he can't win against you, anymore than he can win against me."

This wasn't about revenge to Lightning. It was simply about setting things right, and about becoming real champions . . . together.


	6. Chapter 6

The first rays of the morning sun gently stirred Lightning and Sally. Even though they had shared but a few hours' rest, each felt refreshed.

Sally looked next to her, and seeing that Lightning now also had his eyes open, she warmly told him, "You know, I once gave up hope that a morning like this would ever come. But somehow, I got that hope back, right here, at this very spot. I'm just glad now that I'm sharing this dream come true with you, right where I wished it. I can't thank you enough, ever, for taking a risk for me, and giving me this chance, and this dream to share. I love you, Lightning . . . more than I'll ever be able to say."

"Sally," he responded, "I've spent the last several years so focused on racing and winning and looking forward to the limelight and the rewards . . . that I forgot what the best things in life truly are. Now, I don't think I really even knew what they were. It's you who has given me the chance now to discover all that life can truly be. I don't think I can ever thank, or love you enough either. I've heard that love and success don't often go together. But if we can pull that off . . . wow."

"Not 'ka-chow'?" she asked.

"How often do I use 'wow' versus 'ka-chow'?" he responded.

"Not often," she said.

"That's why I'm using it now," he smiled.

"Oh," Sally noted, " . . . better shut off my car alarm before I wake up the whole valley from here!"

"You wanna shout our engagement news from here?" Lightning asked mischievously.

"Nah, let's go into town and tell Flo over a couple cans of warm morning oil." she replied. "Somehow, I have a feeling that might be almost as effective."

"Mmmm, warm oil sounds great! But couldn't we have it delivered?" he asked, yawning and stretching.

"Someday, I promise to bring it out to you from the Wheel Well right to here," she pledged. "Come to think of it, that would be a good service to offer and market . . . sunrise oil at the Wheel Well!"

"Just let me enjoy it first before everyone else finds out about it!" he quipped.

"Well, you could always book the entire place for the weekend!" she playfully responded in kind.

"Don't think I won't!" he warned with a smile.

"Well, I hate to bring this dream back down to reality," Sally sighed, "but the sun's getting higher in the sky, and we'd better get down out of the mountains here, 'cause there are things that just need doing . . . and I want to do them with you, for as long as possible today."

"Yeah, me too," Lightning sighed wistfully. "Together with you, for as long as possible. I'll change mats, clean cones, anything — so long as it's with you."

"Ready to go, side by side?" she invited.

"Except when we meet oncoming traffic," he qualified, as he tucked the car cover back into his hatchback.

"Deal," Sally accepted as the two cars backed up together and turned onto the old, two-lane highway to head back towards town. As they left the Wheel Well behind, she added, "How about we step up our game here, pick up the pace a bit and get a little morning exercise?"

Lightning accepted her friendly challenge as they gradually increased speed, remaining side by side, taking the turns ever faster.

"Cars ahead," she warned.

"Mind if I enjoy your tail some more?" he asked.

"How about you let me enjoy yours this time?" she responded as she moved back, inviting him into her lane.

Lightning wasn't going to make it easy for her though, as he sped up. Sally soon caught up with him, and after that he couldn't shake her as she paced him move for move, almost touching his rear bumper at times.

As they left the last vestiges of pine forest and arrived back in town, "Don't forget," Sally then reminded Lightning in front of her, "let's get our morning oil at Flo's before we go and take care of things at the Cozy Cone."

Flo spotted the two of them, coming in from the west through town, rather than from the Cozy Cone to the east.

"Coming down from the hills, are we?" she said in fun, as they pulled to a stop side by side again at a drive-in bay in front of her.

"Yeah, Flo . . ." Sally sighed. "We didn't make it home to the 'Cone last night. We talked and napped under the stars at the Wheel Well."

Lightning just continued to look at Sally, smiling.

"Ooooo . . . that sounds like fun!" Flo replied.

"Flo," Sally then said, " . . . we're engaged!"

"WHOO-HOOEEEEE! YES! YES! YESSSSS!" Flo screamed, almost bouncing up and down like her husband, Ramone. "Ohh, I've been hoping and praying for this for you two! Excuse me, I just have to go over by the street for a second!"

Sally and Lightning looked at each other, having an idea of what might be coming next.

"HEY, EVERYBODY!" Flo yelled loud enough to be heard all over Radiator Springs. "SALLY AND LIGHTNING ARE ENGAGED! I REPEAT . . . SALLY AND LIGHTNING ARE ENGAGED!"

Both locals and visitors alike quickly began coming from up and down the road to Flo's, starting to honk and blare their horns in celebration. Red arrived and even turned on his light and siren . . . a rare thing for him to do!

Before they could even order their morning oils, Sally and Lightning were now surrounded by a throng of locals and visitors honking excitedly, and congratulating them.

Flo finally made it through the crowd back to them.

"Flo, while we're at it here, could we have two hot oils, please?" Sally simply asked.

"Mia, Tia! Two hot oils over here for Sally and Lightning!" Flo barked.

Turning back to Sally, Flo said sternly, "Now Sally, you are _not_ going back to the Cozy Cone this morning. _We_ will take care of everything!"

"But I've got to get my stuff out of Cone Number One," Lightning protested.

"Guido!" Flo barked again, "Go get Mr. McQueen's things out of Cone Number One and pack them in his trailer . . . Come to think of it, Mia, go with him, and pack essentials for Miss Sally, too out of Cone Seven, and put them in Mr. McQueen's trailer as well."

"Now wait a minute, Flo!" Sally protested. "I can't just get up and go to L.A. today!"

"You can . . . and you are!" Flo directed in a tone that would brook no dissention.

"Remember," Flo whispered to Sally, "Lightning's meeting with his big shot PR agent there . . . that could help you with your 'past' problem! I am _not_ going to let that come back and ruin things for you now, girl!"

"Flo," Lightning responded, having overheard what she had said, "I owe you one . . . a big one! See?" he then said to Sally. "The problem is already on its way to being handled."

"My best friend and my fiancée working together," Sally just smiled in concession as she leaned against Lightning, looking at him. "What're 'ya gonna do?"

"Okay!" Flo said to the assembled crowd around them. "Who all of 'ya are staying at the Cozy Cone?"

About ten cars raised their tires.

"As an engagement present to a gal who's worked very hard to make the Cozy Cone such a nice place for 'ya all to stay," Flo then continued, "I'd ask for today if you would please change your own mats and clean out your cones before you leave. Sarge over here will show you where everything is. If you want a refund today for your stay, given this unexpected 'self-service' request; see Tia over at my cash register, and we'll gladly pay you back."

Sally was just floored . . . pleasantly, delightedly floored. She had to grip Lightning's front tire just to make sure it was all real.

"You deserve this, Sal," Lightning gently reassured her.

"Now you two just relax right here," Flo instructed Lightning and Sally, "and we'll bring you a nice 'n deluxe gas, oil, and lube breakfast. I don't think you'll be even able to get outta here anytime soon anyway, so 'ya might as well enjoy it!"

Reporter Dana Starlighter now approached the couple, but the TV camera lights were turned off. "Lightning, Ms. Carrera," she began quietly talking directly to them, "We're covering this story of the two of you, because it's one of the happiest and most inspiring I've seen in some time, especially with you two working together last night. That helped drive your story, and ratings on our late edition show, through the roof! But, just to let you know, we've uncovered some past details about you, Ms. Carrera. I can reassure you that they won't be easy for others to find, but I'm refusing to have them aired on our network, and I'll do my best to dissuade anyone else from publishing them. They're just not part of this story, as far as I'm concerned. But I'd recommend you get a good PR person to help you on this."

"Thank you, Dana," Lightning said, remembering her first name. "We really appreciate your courtesy here. I'll be having my agent 'L.A. Harv' working on this."

"He's good," Dana responded. "Now if you don't mind, we'd like to turn on the lights here, and get a few shots and words from you on this fantastic town gathering this morning. Also . . . Mr. McQueen, we would really appreciate it if we could join you and your fiancée on your trip today to Los Angeles. We're not asking for an exclusive — just a head start."

Lightning looked at Sally with a relaxed, encouraging smile.

"Yes," Sally said, looking back at Lightning. "I'm ready for it. You and your crew would be welcome to join us."

"Thank you," Dana said, adding, " . . . and don't be nervous Sally, you're a natural at this. You two are perfect together, maybe the 'storybook couple' of the year. I was first with your story yesterday, and I look forward to working together with both of you. Now if you're ready . . ."

"Sure," Lightning replied, "Go for it!"

"This is Dana Starlighter here in Radiator Springs," she began, turning towards the camera, "home of famous racecar Lightning McQueen, where we've just learned that Lightning McQueen and his local girlfriend, Sally Carrera, have just become engaged. The whole town around us has turned out for them at Flo's V-8 Cafe this morning. Even visitors to the town have joined in this incredible, impromptu celebration! Lightning, Sally, first congratulations. May we ask where and when you became engaged?"

"We had a long talk up at the Wheel Well lookout above this valley during the night here," Sally happily responded. "I was kind of hoping for it, but he still surprised me when he asked."

_You are perfect at this!_ Lightning thought admiringly towards Sally, happy to share the spotlight and let her talk for them as much as she liked.

"What do you think of the whole town turning out in celebration of your engagement, and how did it happen?" Starlighter followed up.

"Well, I've lived here for a few years now, and I'm very surprised by it. I've never seen anything like this," Sally responded. "All I did was bring Lightning in here to enjoy a hot morning oil, let my friend Flo here know that Lightning and I were engaged . . . and well, she did the rest!"

As Starlighter and her camera team turned away to interview Flo, Sally turned to Lightning. She leaned tightly against him, trying to conceal tears of joy in her eyes as she looked at him, unable to say a thing.

"Think you could get used to this?" he asked her.

"As long as I'm with you, yes," Sally tearfully replied. "There's still stuff we each have to do, and it'll be a while before I might be able to join you at the track . . . but wow!"

"We'll just have to put a priority on that," Lightning responded, "It's part of our story now. Our fans will be expecting it!"

"Our fans? Y-You'd share all that with me?" she asked.

"Yes, absolutely! It's our new winning edge!" he reassured. "No other team has this element, and as you've just heard, it's already grabbing the public's attention. Welcome to racing, Sally . . . and to the spot, and spotlight, you've deserved!"

Sally just closed her eyes, leaned against him, and cried with joy. She didn't care that the cameras were once again focused on her, and them together.

" . . . This is an incredible love story, in a storybook small town, that combines the best elements of both racing and romance. Rest assured we will continue to cover developments around this new Piston Cup couple. Dana Starlighter, Streets Tonight Entertainment News reporting from Radiator Springs!"

— — — — —

Flo was right. Lightning and Sally were literally 'trapped' at her cafe for several hours by the throngs that surrounded them. They simply weren't able to leave.

Mack was finally able to break through to them.

"Hey boss," Mack said urgently, "Harv's on my truck phone, demanding to speak to you right now!"

"Hi Harv," Lightning casually said towards Mack's phone.

"Hey, how come I'm the last to know here, huh?" Harv proceeded to grumble over the phone's speaker. "I saw it on TV and then started getting calls, but not from you! I had nothing to work with here!"

"Harv, I'm sorry," Lightning apologized. "It all just kinda happened, yesterday evening and last night. I never had much of a chance to check in with you."

"Well, I hope she's told you, but she seems to have a few problems here," Harv continued in a less than delicate fashion. "I've already been working to put a lid on it."

"Thanks, Harv. I . . . we really appreciate it," Lightning responded. "Sally has told me, and if anything does get out, I want you to tell folks that a) I know about it, b) she's a different car now, and c) I fully support her, stand with her, and love her, no matter what. Sally is coming with me to meet you, and we'll be ready to work out more of an approach and strategy when we get there. Harv, we're in a crowd here, so I can't really talk more for now. Also, know that Streets Tonight has done us a favor already on this issue, so we're inviting them to ride with us to L.A. I think their coming with us will do nothing but good. Okay?"

"You scored _Streets Tonight_?" Harv asked in amazement. "I've been working to get their attention for months! Hey, don't go doing my job for me . . . have you been reading my crib sheets?" he almost complained.

"Harv, I'll take that as a compliment!" Lightning responded back. "Remember, we're a team — and Sally's part of it now. I'm going to ask you to help make that work as smoothly as possible, okay?"

"Okay, but remember," Harv concluded, "now you're making me work for what you pay me . . . not that I wasn't before . . . I'm out!"

"Lightning," Sally said cautiously as she looked at him, "I'm sorry if I'm starting to cause any problems here."

"No, Sal, you're fine," Lightning gently reassured as he warmly nudged closer to her. "You're part of this team now, and you're just seeing the team starting to handle it all. Harv wasn't lying when he said he's actually having to do something for me now. He's had it very easy for a while. Actually, I almost feel like bringing him here, and having him do even half the running around and work you and I did yesterday!"

"That would be helpful," Sally confessed.

"He never leaves L.A. though," Lightning noted. "That's why he's known as 'L.A. Harv', and why we have to go and see him."

"Well, at least I'm getting a surprise road trip out of it!" Sally admitted. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've even seen the inside of your trailer yet!"

"Well, allow me to park you in my spot, and enjoy the massage buffers," he offered. "They are fantastic."

"Ooooo, that sounds wonderful. Can we hit the road?" Sally asked.

"It is time, boss," Mack added.

"Well, this isn't how I expected to be spending my short day here in Radiator Springs," Lightning confessed, "but let's saddle up and get going! Mack, could you bring the trailers around, and have the Sheriff clear a path for us? Oh, and invite the Streets Tonight team to occupy the lead crew trailer, and make sure the curtains are open so they can see and talk to us."

"I'm on it, boss! It's a good thing I have radio communication with the Sheriff and Sarge now, thanks to Sarge and his surplus enterprise!" Mack said, trying to depart back through the crowd.

"This is certainly a different way of living and working," Sally observed. "I'm going to have to get used to having so much help around."

"In a way, Sally, I hope you never do," Lightning admitted. "It can spoil cars, allow them to take things for granted. I can see it now used to do that to me, allowing me to get out of touch with life . . . until you and this town set me straight! That's why I like being here . . . along with you of course!"

"Don't worry, Stickers, I'll keep you straight!" Sally warmly assured him.

Mack honked his way through the crowd from the side street and around the corner until the trailers were on the main street in front of Flo's. The trailer doors opened, and led by the Sheriff, Lightning and Sally made their way to the rear trailer, posing for a final round of pictures together before they embarked.

"Ladies first," Lightning offered as he invited her to back up the ramp as he usually did. This time he had to go forward in behind her, an unusual position for him, so that he could face her during the trip.

"Now don't you two worry none," Mater assured them. "We'll take care of every last thing, we will! The town will still be here when you get back!"

"I'll make sure of it!" Flo added.

As the ramp went up behind them, and Lightning turned the interior lights on, Sally looked around in awe.

"Wow," she said, "I never knew you lived like this! Makes the cone I've been giving you look kinda . . . well, almost 'slummy'!"

"Nah, I've been enjoying the classic, historically-authentic, and simple small-town road life in my cone! May I suggest some massage buffers, and gentle surround stereo music here though?" Lightning suavely recommended as he pushed a few buttons on the side.

The buffers came down and started working their magic on Sally as the soft interior lighting changed in time with the music.

"Ohhhhhh, hel-lo!" Sally sighed contentedly. "You're going to put me to sleep here Stickers, and fast if you're not careful."

"Just remember, we're on camera here," Lightning noted seeing a cameravan from Streets Tonight shooting from behind her.

"Ohhh surrre . . . What? Oh yeah, right . . . showtime!" Sally nervously realized.

"No Sally, not really 'showtime' right now," Lightning assured, coaching her this time. "It's just 'real-time' here. Everyone just wants to see us as we truly are. Let them see you enjoy your first trip in my trailer here . . . our trailer now."

"Oo-kayy," she said with increasingly relaxed enthusiasm as she went back to enjoying her massage.

"Lightning," Dana Starlighter strained to say over her cameravan, "It's going to be difficult to have any sort of interview in here, so let me ask you just one question for now. What does it feel like to be sharing your first road trip now with your fiancée?"

"Dana, that's real easy," Lightning said as he enjoyed watching Sally finally get the comforting, indulging treatment he now knew she so richly deserved after years of hard work, and the hardship she had suffered.

"I could not be happier," he replied. "I simply could not be happier."


	7. Chapter 7

Seeing that Sally had soon been lulled into a deep sleep by her massage and the soft music, Lightning decided to apologize to Dana and the Streets Tonight team. "I'm sorry, Dana," he quietly said, "Sally and I had a long day of working Saturday, and not very much sleep last night. So I'm afraid there might not be much of us for you to shoot this trip."

"That's okay," Dana assured. "Most cars don't get to see how hard sports celebrities like you work sometimes. We have footage of some of what you were doing Saturday. It might be a good angle to show that even you need rest too. If you want to shut the curtain, that's fine . . . but if you'd allow us to shoot some discreet shots, I think that might really touch the audience in a way. Make you seem more real."

"Well, I can't ask Sally here, but . . ." he said.

"Yess, you can . . ." Sally sleepily responded with her eyes closed, "and I'm fine with it, too."

"Well, that seals it then," Lightning confirmed. "Go ahead and shoot as you like. I'll even give you some shots of me just looking out the window here as I fade out. No . . . actually," he decided, "I'd rather look at Sally."

Sally just smiled at him with her eyes closed. "Thank you, Stickers . . ." she sighed, "for making my dream come true . . ." before fading off to sleep again.

"That was a good shot!" Dana whispered to Lightning.

He just winked back at her and the camera. Dana nodded again approvingly. They were getting a good story.

— — — — —

About nine hours later, they arrived.

"Wake-up call!" Mack announced on the videocom. "Now approaching beautiful . . . well, maybe as much big as beautiful . . . Los Angeles, California!"

Lightning and Sally both blinked their eyes, yawned and stretched after their first good sleep the entire weekend.

"How're you doing?" Lightning asked Sally as he looked at her.

"Wonderful . . ." Sally replied as she stretched some more. "I can see why you say you like sleeping in here. The trailer does just rock you to sleep. I'm also wonderful because I slept in your world here for the first time . . . with you. One thing's for sure when we get back . . ."

"What's that?" he asked.

"No more sleeping in separate cones," she decided, smiling. "We're getting the gold license plate frames while we're here. If necessary, we might even get married in Vegas."

"I think Radiator Springs would be better than Vegas," he advised.

"Yeah, but only as long as it's no more separate cones in the meantime," she playfully emphasized. "And I don't mind if that's on tape, America," Sally then said to the camera she knew was behind her. "Because this is what being engaged feels like! It's my first time, and it feels fabulous!"

It was evening now as their truck slowed to a stop in front of the stylish hotel and conference center where Lightning was slated to make a brief appearance at a Rust-eze Racing Rally before a late private dinner with Harv.

"Watch out for Harv," Lightning cautioned Dana as he spotted him out the trailer's window.

"Oh don't worry, I know Harv," Dana assured. "Thanks again for the ride. If you wouldn't mind, I'd still like to get a hotel room interview with you two, and maybe follow you out on the town, and I might suggest a trip to the beach while you're here, too. Given how many times he's called our office, I think Harv would clear it."

"We're only here through tomorrow," Lightning cautioned. "But either Sally or I will keep in touch with you."

Sally smiled at him.

"Here's my card with my direct mobile number," Dana said, passing it over via her cameravan. "Look forward to it. Thanks again!" she added as she and her cameravan left out the side crew ramp of the lead trailer.

"Ready for our first big city appearance together?" Lightning asked Sally. "Normally I've psyched myself up for these things, especially on race days. But with you, I'm just going to be relaxed and wing it this time."

"As an attorney here," Sally responded looking out the window, "I used to be on the periphery of these events. Just never thought I'd be in the middle of them!"

"This time, I'm the one with the less than graceful exit, going tail first out of here," he said as he pushed the button to open the ramp. "You just follow me out and smile!"

"Ready? Showtime!" he said as he backed out, revving his engine.

Lightning came out amid the throng of flashing cameras, smiling to each side. Once at the bottom, he turned to one side, and then Sally's front end began to emerge from the trailer. Although the crowd was smaller than the one they'd left at Radiator Springs, Sally actually found herself more nervous this time. She put on a decent forced smile though for the cameras flashing around her as she slowly descended the ramp looking around. While smiling himself, Lightning noticed her nerves though as she reached the bottom of the ramp.

"It's okay," he quietly reassured her.

"You know, for some screwy reason, I'd almost feel more comfortable with the Crew Chief's headset on!" she quietly confided in him through a forced smile. "Don't ask me why!"

"Hey, just pretend this is your due now, for all you've experienced in the past — which actually, it is!" he quietly encouraged her as they smiled at the cameras together. "This is just the 'Way to Go Sally Awards!'"

Sally smiled and laughed openly as she nudged affectionately against him as they made their way through the flashing cameras into the hotel.

"Perfect Sal, perfect!" he whispered to her.

"Okay," she whispered back, "make you a deal. I'll coach you on the track, and you coach me off the track!"

"Done deal!" he readily accepted as he whispered back to her. "See what a team we make?"

"Yeah," she whispered, "I do."

"Wow, it is tough to catch up with you guys!" a dark blue BMW sports car said as he finally pushed his way through the crowd to Lightning and Sally in the hotel lobby.

"Sally, this is my agent Harv," Lightning said making introductions, "and Harv, this is my fiancée . . . and it feels _very_ good to say that . . . Sally."

"Pleasure to meet you," Harv said quickly, "Hopefully unlike with me and my three marriages, we'll be seeing you for a long time with this guy. But Lightning, I thought you might 'a learned something about the dangers of commitment from me by now!"

"Well Harv, deep down, Sally was just a winner that I couldn't pass up," Lightning replied. "And I should know something about winning,"

"You sir . . . are just incredible," Sally admired to Lightning, almost charmed and gratified beyond words. "Thank you . . ." she added honestly as she gave him a real kiss, stifling a tear.

"Well, I can see where this is going. You two want the room now?" Harv commented indelicately.

"Harv," Lightning responded, "this is our new winning edge here, our team. This will really help us win, both on and off the track!"

"Hmmm . . . 'Racing and Romance' . . . 'Everyone Loves a Winner' . . . yeah, I can see some angles and winning edges here," Harv mused. "I think you two are onto something."

"But we still have problems," he continued, now beginning to hustle them along to their appearance at the 'Rust-eze Racing Rally' at a ballroom down the hall. "I have to be honest . . . I won't be able to keep a lid on these problems forever. Be prepared to address and deal with them as they come up — but don't volunteer anything that the press doesn't find out on their own."

"How much do you know, Harv?" Lightning asked quietly.

"I know enough to appreciate that it might cause you some bad blood and ill will around the track if anyone connects the car Sally is now with the not-to-be-trusted bad girl who once roamed the pits," Harv answered.

Sally was chilled by that comment, and Lightning noticed her discomfort, gently touching a supportive tire against her to reassure her.

"All I hear is that there is just talk at this point," Harv then continued. "Cars wondering if there might be any connection between the polished Porsche that Sally is now, with a wild Porsche named Sal who once was known as a sharp lieutenant for one of the racecars. No one knows Sal's last name as she apparently never used it, so we're good for the moment."

"How did you make the connection, Harv?" Lightning asked.

"I knew of Sally here when she was an attorney in L.A.," Harv said. "You probably don't remember me, Sally, but I remember you. Your firm handled one of my divorces, and I saw you in the office a number of times. When I heard of you two together, saw the footage on the news of Sally Crew Chiefing for you at your demonstration laps yesterday, and heard stories about of this wild but racing-savvy and sharp Porsche named Sal . . . my gas tank just put it all together, and your reaction on the phone earlier today confirmed it. Actually, I'm hearing that Sal was admired by some on the track — that if she'd been with a different racecar and had a different attitude, she had insights and talent that could have taken her places there."

"Don't worry, Sally, this can work," Lightning reassured as he looked at her. "Harv, do you know who that other racecar is? Just yes or no for now," he then asked.

"Yes . . . I believe I do," Harv said.

Sally cringed. Lightning noticed, knowing she would. He touched her reassuringly again.

"Thanks, Harv," Lightning said as they went into the ballroom's backstage area. "That's all for now. We'll meet you back in the hall here, and go to dinner afterwards."

"Sally, I trust you completely," Lightning turned and assured her as they had a moment to themselves before they went out on stage. "That's why I asked my last question of Harv the way I did. I trust that you have your reasons, and that you will tell me when you feel it's right to. You don't need to tell me who this car is before then. Okay?"

"Lightning," she replied, "I want to tell you when I can be there at the track to help protect you. If you let on to this car that you know the past between him and I, I'm afraid that he will hurt you, go after you — because I can tell you how to beat him. It's not cheating, so much as just knowing how to avoid his cheating, when he will do it. Lightning, I'm scared for you . . . that's why I haven't told you, and I don't want you to know for your own safety, until we can be there together to beat him fair and square."

"Sally . . . I understand, I completely agree, completely trust you, and totally love you!" Lightning warmly reassured her, giving her a kiss. "I never want you to doubt, or worry about my commitment to you ever again, okay?"

"Lightning," she said honestly, " . . . I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do, Sally . . . you _so_ do!" Lightning affirmed quietly to her as he ushered her through the curtains on cue to the stage amid cheers and cameras flashing.

That brought out a warm, tearful smile from Sally that they both knew the cameras would just eat up.

Sensing a good opportunity, Dana Starlighter just moved up the floor to the foot of the stage and asked, "Hey Ms. Carrera! Sally! How are you feeling about your trip, and your engagement to Lightning McQueen so far? Care to comment?"

"Lightning and I have begun sharing things that I had frankly thought I would never have had in the past," Sally admiringly responded while looking at him. "He continues to amaze me, with his insight, warmth, his devotion, and love . . . even now. He just wowed me again backstage with some wonderful words. I can't help the joy that I feel."

"Thank you, Ms. Carrera, thank you," Dana said, continuing to look on at Sally and Lightning as the cameravan filmed them. Even though she prided herself on being a sharp reporter; knowing what she knew about the hard life that Sally had endured, and having endured her own tough period once . . . Dana now wanted Sally and Lightning to win.

That, she knew, would make for a really good story.


	8. Chapter 8

"Wow, is that all they do in there at your Rust-eze personal appearances?" Sally asked Lightning as they left the ballroom by the same back door that they had come in.

"Yep," Lightning replied, "It's been the same ever since I've started with them . . . a few canned jokes, a version of my TV ad pitch, all to the same ol' polka music, and that's it!"

"They spent that kind of money on that ballroom . . . and bringing you here . . . just for this?" she asked incredulously.

"I know, I know," he said, agreeing with her.

"And you haven't worked with them to improve it?" she continued.

"Well, at first I was looking to get away from them to Dinoco, so I didn't really care," he replied. "Since that Piston Cup Race at the end of last season, this has been on my 'to do' list, but I haven't had the chance to just meet and discuss it at length with Rusty and Dusty."

"Don't I know what _that's_ like!" she empathized. "Hey, this'll be another thing we just tackle and improve together, okay?"

"Sally, thank you," Lightning said gratefully. "You know, your offering to work together on something like this may not seem like much . . . but it means a lot to me. It makes me feel good inside. I really appreciate it!"

"There you two are!" Harv said, finally finding Lightning and Sally again, motoring over to them.

"There goes the moment," Sally whispered to Lightning.

"I know," he whispered back in agreement and smiling to her. "We'll have more though!"

Sally just leaned against Lightning as she warmly looked at him.

"What are you two trying to do? Avoid me?" Harv said as he arrived next to them.

"Oh no . . . no," Lightning and Sally both said together.

"Come on," she then invited, changing the subject. "Let's go to dinner."

Lightning gave her a subtle, approving wink and smile to let her know she was doing good.

"I got us a private roof top dining room at this hotel," Harv said as he ushered them to an elevator. "It's not up to my own usual standards, but it'll do, and allow us to talk."

"Good," Lightning replied. "That will allow us to have our meeting tonight instead of tomorrow morning. So Sally, would you call Dana from a phone when we get up there and tell her that while we'll have to pass on the night on the town this time, we'll be happy to give her a hotel room interview in the morning — you pick a time — and maybe a quick trip to the beach that she and her crew can join us on. Hey, we can have Mac take us . . . he'd enjoy it anyway. Then we can take off for home right from there."

"You got it, Stickers," Sally confirmed.

"Hey . . . that's my job!" Harv objected.

"Do you have Dana Starlighter's direct mobile number?" Lightning asked him in response.

"Well, no . . ." Harv admitted.

"We do," Lightning responded. "Besides I'm here to talk to you — not wait around while you're on the phone like I sometimes have in the past. We need to refine how we approach the problems here and catch up on anything else. We're all a team here now, Harv. So let the whole team work."

"You wanna give me Starlighter's mobile number, too?" Harv asked.

"Uhhh . . ." Lightning hesitated.

Sally gave Lightning a quick little negative shake of her hood and 'no' with her eyes.

"Uh, sorry Harv, I think Starlighter entrusted that just to us." Lightning said reluctantly. "I don't think we'd run her phone's battery down quite like you would. Besides," he continued, now using Sally's own 'change the subject' tactic, "we need you to work on image control for Sally."

The elevator doors opened to a very swank restaurant lobby with saxophone music drifting through the air. Harv went over to speak to a Bentley maitre 'd, and waived Lightning and Sally to follow him.

"Boy, this brings back memories," Sally quietly commented to Lightning as they motored to the private room. "I used to come here with a few clients, and with the senior partners over me a few times. I was so distracted by both the press and you when we got here, I'd forgotten this was the place I've been to."

"Well," Lightning said, cocking a windshield, "I do have effects on others that they themselves aren't aware of . . ."

"Oh stop!" Sally said, laughing.

Soon, they arrived in the private dining room. It was dimly lit and darkly furnished, with a commanding view of the Los Angeles area out the window.

"Phone time," Sally said spying a phone. "You two go talk."

"I like the way you work," Lightning whispered approvingly with almost a playful leer.

Sally just smiled as she went to the phone.

"So Harv . . ." Lightning began, inviting him to pull up to the table.

"You'll love the imported oil they serve here," Harv commented. "It's from France, made from Saudi Arabian extra sweet crude . . ."

— — — — —

A couple hours later, Lightning and Sally finally opened their hotel room door. Lightning turned on the room's soft lights.

"Hmmm . . . separate mats," Sally noted with a little disappointment in her voice. "I guess Harv's trying to keep us honest for now. The car quilts are nice, though."

"We can push 'em together . . . it'll be just as good," Lightning assured. "You ready to turn in?"

"Could we talk by the window for a bit?" Sally requested. "I rarely had the chance to enjoy this kind of view when I was here."

"You like views from high places no matter where you are, don't you?" Lightning commented playfully.

"What if I do?" Sally responded warmly.

They proceeded to relax next to each other by the room's large windows.

"Well that was a long dinner that didn't accomplish very much," Sally eventually observed.

"Harv gets things done in his own, intense, way," Lightning responded.

"How did you wind up retaining him?" she asked. "He just doesn't seem like your style."

"I was trying to focus on racing," Lightning explained. "I needed someone to field the endorsement, interview, and other requests I was starting to get early in my rookie season when I started winning. I found him in the phonebook when I was at a race here, and he came recommended by a couple of other racecars who wanted to climb the ramp of success fast like I once did."

"Lightning," Sally said as she leaned against him, "You know, we were both once like that. That's how I was when I was an attorney here. Heck, I was almost as hard-driving as Harv at times . . . just in a more disguised, feminine way. I'm glad you've changed though. I'm glad we both have."

Sally turned to give Lightning a kiss on the side, and then she leaned back against him.

"So you're paying him ten percent of all you get for strategies like the ones he suggested?" she continued. "He may be running around, but as with Dana Starlighter, you're the one getting things done."

"I know, but he's my 'front office', my public phone number even. I couldn't do all that by myself. Even you and I together couldn't handle all that by ourselves," Lightning admitted.

"How about when we get the team headquarters built . . . emphasis on _when_, as in 'someday'," Sally sighed, "we bring all that in-house?"

"But Harv negotiated a contract in perpetuity with me," Lightning cautioned. "I know, I know . . . it was a rookie mistake."

"Well," Sally said warmly, "You, Mr. McQueen, have a lawyer as your fiancée now. You let me look at that contract, and I'll find a way to renegotiate it while you're away at the races coming up here. Don't worry, I won't dump Harv completely — you and I both appreciate loyalty to those who help us get where we are. I'll just more tightly manage his relationship with you . . . and us, if you don't mind. I already have a limited Power-of-Attorney with you to manage your property and business affairs in Radiator Springs; perhaps we should expand it to a general or blanket Power-of-Attorney for you."

"Yeah," he agreed. "It's gonna happen when we're married anyway. Why not start now? I trust you, Sally . . . with my life."

"Thank you, Lightning." she said gratefully. "You know, when I shared with you what I did last night — for a moment, I didn't think you could trust me. I wouldn't have trusted me!"

"I could see into your spirit through what you said," Lightning responded. "I couldn't help but trust you . . . completely, because through what you said, I couldn't help but love you completely."

"Oh, Stickers . . ." Sally sighed, deeply touched as she pressed against him some more. "I love and trust you completely, too."

"You sure you have time to do all this though?" he asked.

"It'll give me something to do while I miss you," she responded as she once again looked out the floor-to-ceiling window in front of them, " . . . along with finding a way through my own restraining order to get myself back on the track at your side."

"You do that, Sally . . . and fast," he said, kissing her. "I want you there."

— — — — —

The phone rang as the morning sun's rays started filling their room with light. Lightning sleepily looked at the alarm clock next to him . . . it was 6:45 AM. Reluctantly, he tapped the answer button.

"Hello?" he said, as Sally quietly moved closer to him under the car quilts.

"Hey there, super-star, it's Harv!" the phone's speaker announced. "I wondered if you'd like to break bread over breakfast here before your interview this morning with Streets Tonight?"

"No, Harv," Lightning responded as he yawned. "Thanks, but I think we're good. Trying to catch up on sleep here, okay?"

"You got it," Harv quickly agreed on the phone. "But I want to see you one more time today before you leave."

"What do we have left to go over, Harv, that we didn't deal with last night?" Lightning sleepily asked.

"Uh, well . . . I just wanted to keep up with one of my best clients," he hesitantly said. "You're not here all that much. I like to talk and work with my clients. Call me later. Let's do lunch . . . I'm out!"

"He senses I'm causing a change in how you're relating to him," Sally sleepily advised Lightning. "He's feeling threatened, and probably wants you to meet with him alone."

"Are you always the amazing tactician?" Lightning asked, turning towards her a little on their mats.

"For you, yes," she replied. "It's part of safeguarding my Stickers now. I've always got your back, from now on. Plus, I'm a lawyer . . . reading cars is part of what I'm trained to do, and part of what I learned to do when I was at the track."

"Wow," he admired. "So whadda 'ya suggest I do?"

"Simple," she replied. "Agree to meet with him for a quick oil, not lunch, on our way to the beach. I'll just stay in the trailer, so you can have a reason to keep it short. Ask him straight up what he wants, force him to be honest. He'll tell you he's not so sure about me. You tell him that I'm part of your team now, end of story. Assure him he is too, but that all our working relationships will naturally change somewhat as we adjust to each other. Answer any other objections he has in the same straight but quick way, and then say we'll be late for our beach shoot with Streets Tonight if you don't get going now. Heck, invite him along so he feels like he's still your agent on the shoot. That'll reassure him somewhat. Maybe I'll have a few words with him, too while we're at the beach."

"You are amazing," Lightning sighed pleasantly. "I can only imagine what you could do for me, for us, at the track."

"It's what I did try to do at the track . . . once," Sally said wistfully. "But I was wasting this on the wrong car, the totally wrong car. That's one reason why I love you Stickers. You're the car I've always been looking for . . . at least after Radiator Springs changed you a bit."

"Sally . . . wow, I don't know what to say," he replied, now deeply moved.

"Shhhh," she reassured, kissing him. "Let's just get close here and enjoy another hour or two of rest. Our interview here isn't until 10 AM. Besides, I won't get to do this with you very often for the next little while."

"Oh, and by the way," she then added, "we're sleeping in the same cone tonight back home . . . a) I don't care anymore what might be said, b) We're at least engaged, and c) Why dirty up an extra cone just for your one-night stay?"

"Yeah . . ." he simply agreed.

— — — — —

All too soon, another busy day was upon Lightning and Sally. After they each enjoyed a quick run through the room's private car wash, Dana Starlighter was already at their door.

Once they had settled down, all sorts of perfunctory, softball questions were asked and answered. But when it came to Sally's history, she answered carefully but honestly, with Lightning right by her side.

" . . . I grew up in a good family, Dana," Sally responded. "But I wound up on the wrong side of the streets for a time. It was a hard, sad, even painful period for me — one that I am very grateful to Lightning now for helping me to heal from. Someday, I do want to talk about it. But if you, and America, wouldn't mind for now, I still have some more healing to do on that."

"We understand," Dana replied supportively.

"But," Sally continued brightly, wanting to give the media enough positive details to hopefully satisfy their interest, "I will be forever grateful to my late uncle, Max Carrera, for rescuing me from that. He got me cleaned up, into law school, and helped me establish myself as a lawyer here in L.A. for a time."

"Why did you leave here? Why settle in an out-of-the way place like Radiator Springs?" Dana followed up.

"Lightning and I were each running in the fast lane once," Sally answered as she looked at Lightning, " . . . well, actually come to think of it, he still does! But I was an ambitious attorney focused just on success and respect, and he was an up-and-coming racecar focused just on winning, endorsements and fame. But it never made either of us truly happy. One day, I just felt I had to pack up and leave L.A. I didn't intend to break down in Radiator Springs, but I did. Lightning didn't intend to get lost in Radiator Springs, but he did, too. The place just seemed to draw us each there . . . hold us there, perhaps initially against our wills! It slowed us down, mellowed us, and warmed us inside. I originally told Lightning that I just fell in love with the place. But I think the place itself helped me to realize what love and life were, and it held me there for several years . . . until it could cause Lightning to be brought there, too."

"That's a wonderful story. Thank you, Sally, thank you, Lightning, for talking with us. This is Dana Starlighter, Streets Tonight Entertainment News."

"Thanks you two," Dana then added once the camera was off. "That was a wonderful story! You especially, Sally, handled it very well. I hope I do that well if anyone ever asks _me_ probing questions! See you at the beach?"

"Yes, we just have to see my agent, Harv, quickly one more time on the way," Lightning confirmed. "Do you mind if Harv joins us at the beach?"

"No, not at all," Dana replied as she started to leave. "We're just there to take good pictures of you two for this continuing story!"

After Dana and her crew then left, Sally turned to Lightning. "Well," she said, "nice as this place is, and as nice as it would be to take a day off here . . . ready to hit the road?"

"At least we get to hit the beach on the way!" he enthused.

— — — — —

"Sally, you nailed it!" Lightning later said with a sigh of relief as the trailer's ramp closed behind him. "It all went with Harv in the cafe _exactly_ as you said it would! You'd have been proud of me though — I was able to dodge staying for lunch just like I dodge cars on the track! He did take me up on following us to the beach however."

"I'll have a few words with him there," Sally said reassuringly. "You just invite Dana away for a few minutes for a solo interview."

When they arrived at a less crowded beach along US 101 out towards Santa Barbara that Dana had recommended a short time later, Lightning and Sally initially just allowed Dana's crew to tape them enjoying a few quiet moments on the beach together as Harv watched nervously in the background.

"It's time," Sally said quietly to Lightning, noticing Harv shifting back and forth over the same patch of sand a short distance away. "Let me go talk to him now."

"Gotcha Sal," Lightning nodded, smiling warmly towards her.

"Have a good interview," she whispered as she kissed him.

"Dana, why don't we come talk for a moment over here," Lightning invited Starlighter and her crew, while inwardly still admiring Sally's game plan.

"Harv," Sally gently said as she motored up next to him. "We don't have much time here, but I'll be straight. I'm not your enemy. I'm not intending to just cut you off and kick you out of Lightning's life, okay? So please don't treat me as the enemy."

"Lady, you're smart," Harv responded. "But part of me, based on what I've heard, also thinks you can be dangerous. Lightning's still largely an innocent guy. His not a kid anymore though, and I can see he's been learning about life lately the way he drives . . . fast. While he's been the best client I've ever had — and I won't lie that I've done very well with him — I also want to make sure he's not taken for a ride, especially by a pretty hood. I've been there, I've done that myself. And, as even your old law firm knows, it's cost me, bad. I don't want to see the same happen to him."

"Harv," Sally said directly, "What does your hood really tell you about me though . . . about how I would treat Lightning?"

Harv looked at Sally, then at Lightning for a moment, and back at Sally once more as she kept a calm, steady gaze on him.

"Liars can't do what you're doing," Harv finally conceded. "You'd give your life for him. I can see that now."

"I would," Sally responded without missing a beat as she now looked towards Lightning as he was being interviewed. "You know I have a very dangerous car from my past to protect him against — one that he might not be able to protect himself from alone. A racecar that will go after Lightning if he lets on that he's connected the dots between that car and me. Lightning probably already knows who the car is. But I know he's putting it out of his mind based on what I've asked of him for now. I have to find a way past my own restraining order against this car, and be there at the track for Lightning as quickly as possible. While I'm sure the details will come out sometime — and I'm already prepared to talk about them publicly when that becomes necessary — Lightning and I both need your help right now to keep the details out of the media for the time being, until I can be at the track to watch his back as he races . . ."

"By being . . . his Crew Chief," Harv deduced as he looked back at her.

"If that's what it takes, yes," Sally confirmed. "I don't want to displace his existing Crew Chief, Doc Hudson, though. His being in that role has been good for Lightning, and for Doc as well. But I've got to be able to warn Lightning while he's racing against this car. You don't need to lie about me, Harv. I've already told Dana on camera this morning that I've had a rough period in my life, but that I need time to heal. You can use that approach to gain the media's respect for now."

"Sally," Harv said, beginning to smile, "I think you and I will be able to do business."

"I do, too, Harv," she responded, as she started to leave to rejoin Lightning. "But your contract's still going to be renegotiated."

"I was expecting that," Harv replied.


	9. Chapter 9

As Mack drove them home to Radiator Springs, Lightning and Sally were alone in their trailer this time. The two cars were both feeling surprisingly content as they relaxed together.

"I want you with me like this all the time," Lightning said.

"What . . . parked in your spot, enjoying the massage buffers, while you have to make awkward exits with your tail hanging out?" Sally quipped.

"Yeah, why not," Lightning countered.

They both laughed, then just sighing together as they looked out a window for a moment.

"Darn," Sally said suddenly.

"What?" Lightning asked.

"I was in L.A., meeting with Harv all this time," she explained, "and I forgot to ask him to transfer your funds needed to close the purchase of the Radiator Springs Drive-In. That's what happens when I forget to take my planner and its 'to do' list with me."

"Well, it's not like you had much of a choice in getting it," Lightning said. "Flo didn't tell Mia to get anything for you from your office before we left, just your cone."

"Yeah," Sally replied, snuggling up to him nose to nose. "But that was so special, wasn't it? I love 'love' and what it does to both the two cars involved . . . and the others around them."

"So you're not really missing your planner then?" Lightning wondered.

"Aside from that one thing, no," she answered. "What Flo and everyone back home gave me was a miracle I will always treasure. After not leaving Radiator Springs basically since I arrived there four years ago, aside from occasional trips to the Carburetor County Courthouse; I got a surprise whirlwind trip to Los Angeles in the lap of luxury here . . . and most importantly, I got the time with you that I wanted so much after we became engaged. I was dreading your leaving right up until the moment Flo told me I was going with you on this trip. I'm still dreading your leaving without me tomorrow morning. But I know that for the moment, that's the way it has to be. I have a lot of work to do on my end — on my restraining order and other things — while you're away racing. But I won't be forgetting about you for a second, Lightning. I won't."

"Sally . . ." he said as he nudged reassuringly up against her, "I wish there was something I could do."

"No, it's okay, Stickers," she responded bravely, stifling a tear, "I'm okay . . . for you. I don't want you worrying about me now, or while you're racing. You have to be focused on each race — on winning each one. Would you do that for me? Knowing, and seeing you win, for me . . . for us . . . would make me feel better than anything else could for now."

"Sal," Lightning warmly responded, "I will do it for you, and tell everyone that right on the winner's stand. I'll even talk directly to you on TV when the cameras are on me."

"Yeah, Stickers," Sally agreed. "I'll look forward to each victory from you just for that! It'll even be good for our new 'racing and romance' edge and image."

"Yeah, it will, won't it?" Lightning realized with a smile. "I love the way you think, Sally, as much as I love you."

"Same here, Stickers," Sally assured. "That's why we make a good team together."

"Yeah, good team . . ." Lightning agreed as he looked at her.

"Also before I forget," Sally said, a thought occurring to her, "when we get home here, I should type up a general Power of Attorney tonight for you to sign. We can get your signature notarized in the morning by the Sheriff, Doc, or Flo, and that will allow me to just take care of moving the money and everything else."

"Actually, I think I signed something like a general Power of Attorney for Harv," Lightning recalled. "Hope that isn't a problem that can't be fixed."

"Oh, I think I can fix that," Sally responded confidently. "Harv and I reached something of an understanding today, and he's kinda expecting change like this now. And don't worry that I'll go and buy all sorts of 'bling' for myself. I still have my own money. It's how I refurbished and kept open a motel for three years that almost no one stayed in — until you showed up!"

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to get there," Lightning replied, almost apologizing.

"Hey, it's okay actually," she said. "I think I needed the time . . . to heal, to realize what life and love were; so I'd be ready when you did arrive . . . after the place improved you a bit, that is! I'm just sorry you had to wait for me to overcome my last fears."

"You're worth it, Sally," he replied warmly. "You're worth anything . . . and everything."

"Now I'm the one who doesn't know what to say . . ." she said, feeling deeply moved, as they rolled on in the trailer.

— — — — —

The sun had set by the time they arrived back in Radiator Springs, but practically everyone in town was once again gathering around Mack and his trailers as he came to a stop on the racing team's lot.

"Here we go again," Lightning sighed with a smile as he looked out a window while preparing to lower the trailer's ramp.

"Yeah, but it's our crowd, in our town," Sally replied.

"Let's go out together. Stick with me here?" he suggested.

"You got it, Stickers!" Sally accepted. "And don't worry, I am not going to lose you among the crowds tonight, not for anything. Well . . . it's showtime!"

To the cheers of the crowd assembled around them, Lightning and Sally did some revving for show as they came out together, still almost nose to nose. Then Lightning got a little, mischievous idea as he backed down. He suddenly braked to a stop on the ramp, causing Sally to bump into and kiss him. To the honks and hollers of everyone around, Lightning made sure it was a long, deep, passionate kiss.

When they finally ended it, Sally could say only one thing . . . "KAA-CHOWW!"

"That," Lighting then told her privately as they finished coming down the ramp, " . . . is going to become part of our show!"

Sally could only nudge him with tearful gratitude as they finished coming off the ramp and lined up side by side briefly for photos. The crowd wasn't dissipating however as cameras continued to click away around them.

"Whoo, what an arrival!" Flo said to them as she finally made her way through the crowd in front of them. "Haven't seen anything that passionate since Ramone swept me off my tires years ago!"

For the first time, Sally's fenders turned a surprising shade of pink, almost red, as she first looked down blushing, and then looked warmly at Lightning.

"You think we oughta sign photos for these cars for a while, Sal?" Lightning asked as he looked at her.

"Yeah, why not," she agreed. "This could become part of our 'show', too."

"Flo," Lightning said, turning to her, "could we get some more of our photos run off at Town Hall? I can't see Guido around, but could we get a table set up next to the trailer here for signing again as well? I think it's the only way we'll get these folks to go home! And get Mack to shine his lights on the whole thing."

"You got it," Flo assured. "You two just sit here and keep looking pretty together . . . not that you have to try all that hard!"

Before long, Lightning and Sally were once again signing their photos for a significant line of fans.

"Wow, no other racecars do things like this for us," and "You two are just so nice to up and do this," were some of the responses they got as they signed.

"Well this is the spirit of our town, and our team here!" Lightning simply responded, adding, "Y'all come see us at the track now, okay."

Sally closed her eyes and nudged against Lightning for a brief moment at those latter words of his, attempting to stifle a tear.

"I know, Sal," Lightning whispered back to her in comfort and understanding, knowing what her reactions were about. "I want to see you at the track, too. Come on, the line's nearly done here."

Flo noticed what was going on between them. "You want me to make you go on this trip with him, too?" she asked.

"Flo, I'd love for you to do your magic again," Sally tearfully smiled at her. "I really would. But I have to stay this time. I've got a lot of legal stuff I have to take care of before I can go to the track with Stickers here."

"Well then," Flo responded, "I'm just gonna have to make sure you do. I'll be checking for progress every day here!"

"Well, with that kind of help and encouragement," Sally said, turning to Lightning, "I might just be there on the road with you before 'ya know it!"

"Kaa-choww! You do that Sal! A.S.A.P.!" Lightning responded warmly.

Soon Guido and Flo were finishing packing things up around the trailers for the night.

"You ready to go home and turn in, Sally?" Lightning offered.

"With you, yes I am," Sally replied gladly, as they motored off together towards the Cozy Cone. "It's a bit of a tight fit for two modern cars in one of those cones though. As Lizzy will tell you, cars were a bit smaller when the Cozy Cone was first built. I couldn't figure out how to enlarge each cone without just demolishing and starting over, so I just restored them to what they were. I have been dreaming about making the units at the Wheel Well larger though as we rebuild them. For tonight however, at least you and I aren't vans or SUVs!"

"I wouldn't mind a tight fit with you anywhere!" Lightning said affectionately to Sally as they turned into the Cozy Cone Motel, and headed for her own Cone Number Seven.

"Well, here's your chance to prove it, sport!" Sally soon invited, opening the door to her cone. "You'd better go in first, and squeeze over to the side."

Lightning compliantly backed in, giving Sally as much room inside as he could.

"No, a little further over to your left," Sally coached, before she turned around and backed in beside him without scraping fenders with him.

"There, phew!" Sally sighed with relief after she had successfully shoehorned her way in beside Lightning and closed the cone's door. "I never knew it was such a tight fit for two in here. I'm amazed I haven't had more complaints recently now that couples are actually staying in these cones!"

"Well, if I wanted a cozy night with someone special, I'd be very happy with this," Lightning commented. "It really is a 'Cozy Cone'!"

"You know . . . I've never shared one of these with anyone else before," Sally confessed. "Now, it'll seem so empty tomorrow night."

"Just do what I do, Sal," Lightning warmly comforted her. "Focus on where you're at. Don't worry about what's ahead. Enjoy the mile you're on with me, for the moment here. Forget about tomorrow and just enjoy me here beside you, now."

Soon the light in their cone went out, and Sally just savored the experiences and memories with her Stickers that would help to sustain her during the days to come.

But soon, an "Oh darn!" came out of the cone as its light came back on.

"What?" Lightning asked, having just settled down for sleep.

"I forgot to type up a General Power of Attorney for you to sign," Sally confessed. "I think I'd better get over to my office and just take care of it now."

"Can't wait 'til morning, huh?" Lightning asked with a yawn.

"Oooo, you are sorely tempting me, Mr. McQueen," Sally replied.

The light inside Cone Seven went out again.

— — — — —

Sally's alarm clock beeped. She turned it off as she sleepily realized with happiness that a certain presence next to her wasn't a dream.

"Hel-lo Stickers," she said softly as she nudged up all the closer against him. "I am so going to miss this . . . and you. Just as I'm beginning to get used to it all."

"Don't start missing me before I actually go here," Lightning warmly advised. "Just be with me here this morning."

"Okay, you got it," Sally said brightly. "No missing you before you're gone. I'll just savor you instead."

"I'm all for savoring here!" Lightning agreed.

"No rush . . ." Sally sighed, deciding to wake up slowly now with him. "Ooops! Ohmygosh!" she suddenly exclaimed though. "I've got a full motel here, and the Lincoln Continental Breakfast to get on! I am so sorry, Stickers."

Suddenly there was a knock in front of them at their door. Sally opened it, briefly blinded by bright sunshine, to find Flo greeting them with a tray of hot breakfast oil and lube.

"Good mornin' you two!" Flo greeted. "Here's breakfast, delivered fresh from the café. Mia, Tia, and even Ramone are helping me deliver fresh hot breakfasts to every cone here this morning. Yes that's right — you, Sally, are once again not to do a thing except spend time with your Lightning here!"

"Oh Flo . . . thank you, thank you so much," Sally sighed with deep gratitude. "I already feel I owe you so much from the last time, and here you are doing this for me again!"

"Hey," Flo replied, " . . . I owe you and Lightning here big time. Thanks to you two, my café has never been so successful. Even Ramone has cash coming out of his paint shop now like never before. We're expanding our house and everything, girl! We're just takin' good care of our 'investment' here! But boy, you two do need a larger cone here, don't you?"

"Well, let's just say I never forgot Lightning was beside me last night," Sally smiled as she stretched a little with obvious pleasure.

"This'll do good, even great, for now though," Lightning added pleasantly as he looked warmly at Sally. "We'll probably design a nice house as part of our team headquarters. I'm sure Sal will take care of all that."

"Someday, Stickers," Sally sighed, " . . . someday."

"But, we do need to get you a General Power of Attorney typed up this morning to sign," she added, relieved she had remembered that one 'to do'. "So let's enjoy our breakfast here, and then it's over to my office to get that done, okay?"

"You got it, lawyer of mine!" Lightning replied.

— — — — —

All too soon though, it was time for Lightning and the team to load up and head for the next race in New Mexico. While Sally was smiling on the outside, Lightning knew she was crying on the inside. He stuck close to her, nudged, and kissed her as much as possible.

"I'm sorry, Stickers, but we can only spare Doc, Guido, Sarge, and Fillmore to join you as your team this time," Sally explained to Lightning beside their trailers. "We need everyone else, including Mater, to run the town with all the visitors passing through now."

"Awww, man!" Mater exclaimed in disappointment, hearing that.

"Mater," Lightning reminded him, "You're the only tow truck for 50 miles in either direction. You're important here!"

"'Ya really think so?" Mater asked.

"Yep," Lightning replied. "Besides, I want my best friend to watch over my fiancée and keep her company until I get back."

"Dag gone! I surely will do that, buddy! I will!" Mater assured enthusiastically, as Sally silently shared a knowing smile with Lightning.

"Mater . . . would you excuse Sally and I for a moment here?" Lightning asked him as he just continued to stay there beside them. "I'd like to say goodbye to her properly . . . if you wouldn't mind."

"Ohh . . . sure bud," Mater said, finally catching on. "Take care, you two!"

"I want you to be careful while I'm gone, Sally," Lightning now quietly cautioned her. "Keep your friends around close, especially now that that 'car' has likely seen us together in the media, and probably realizes who you are. I'm frankly almost feeling like scratching from these races right now until you can join me on the track."

"Don't do that Stickers," Sally asked. "It would ruin the season for you if you did. I promise to find a way to join you as soon as I can."

"Okay, I'll race . . . but only for you," he agreed. "Oh hey," Lightning then suddenly remembered, reaching into a nook of the trailer, " . . . here are your pair of our pictures together."

"I wish I had a set each for my office, and my cone," she said amid a little growing sadness now.

"Well here, take my set," he offered.

"No, I want you to have a set of us together, too," she warmly declined.

Undeterred, Lighting called out, "Hey Flo, we got any more of the photos of Sally and I? She wants a set each for her cone and her office."

"Just happen to have a few more of each right here!" Flo responded as she handed a pair of photos to Lightning.

"Here, Sal," Lightning said as took them, "lend me your hood for a minute."

Sally looked on with surprise and curiosity as he proceeded to autograph each one for her with his tire, right on her own hood.

_To Sally,__  
my racing partner.  
I Love You, Now and Always!  
Your 'Stickers',  
Lightning_

"Now," he said handing her the photos and pen, "Take my hood and add your own little heart and name like you do. That'll make even this a team effort, just like we really are!"

Sally could only tearfully smile as she took the photos and pen, and added her own distinctive signature beneath his on each photo as she wrote using his hood as he happily looked on.

"I'll never forget we signed these on each other's hoods!" she said almost laughing while fighting back tears.

"I know, Sal," he replied. "I wanted to give you a little something extra to remember these by."

Sally just collapsed into softly crying as she nudged against him tightly.

"This is so silly," she said through her tears. "We're not going to be apart all that long. It's just I've grown used to having cars I care about around me all the time in a small town like this. I'm just getting to really know you, as well as love you, and I don't want it to stop now . . . even for a moment. I've waited so long for this, and now I'll have to go back to waiting again. I'm sorry, Stickers, you deserve better from me than this right now."

"No," Lightning gently countered. "I deserve, and want, the real Sally right now . . . and you've just given her to me. Having a dream come true, and then having to let go of it, even for a little while, is hard . . . even for me."

Lightning smiled as he now looked at her with a little sadness and reluctance in his eyes as well.

"I'll get to work on joining you as fast as I can," Sally tearfully assured, "the moment you're out of here."

"Then I better get going," he said. "So you can join me all the faster!"

Lightning then gave her a powerful goodbye kiss that really revved Sally's engine, before he backed up the ramp, looking just at her. The ramp then went up, finally breaking their shared gaze. Sally quickly moved around to the side of the trailer to allow Lightning a final glance at her through the trailer's screened windows as Mack began to move out. Flo moved up beside Sally, knowing what she was experiencing.

Mack gave out a friendly couple of honks, and they were off, headed east out of town on Route 66. Watching Lightning's trailer pull away, Sally was suddenly overcome with a painful longing she had never felt before. She closed her eyes tightly for a second, trying to fight back the tears, as Flo knowingly held her tire.

"Just let 'em flow hon," Flo counseled. "You won't get to see him go after this, so you might as well open your eyes, watch, and let 'em flow."

So Sally opened her sad eyes and watched his trailer go for a moment, as tears quietly rolled down her fenders.

"I've never felt anything like this before," Sally sniffed.

"It's a beautiful thing, Sally," Flo assured. "Use it. Use this wonderful feeling . . . and it is wonderful! It can give you surprising strength and determination to do anything you want to. Through it, you'll know he's still here, with you, every moment. It'll all be good . . . really good."

So before Mack and the team's trailers had even moved much beyond the Radiator Springs Drive-In, Sally was already excusing herself and motoring towards her office as Flo and Mater watched.

"I've got to get to work, so I can join him as quickly as possible," Sally now told Flo with determination.

"You go girl!" Flo simply said.


	10. Chapter 10

Lightning, too, began to miss Sally the moment Mack started moving, taking him away from her. His trailer now felt big to him, and all too empty. He could have turned on his plasma TV or his stereo, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to forget what being beside her was like.

"You okay back there, kid?" Doc called to Lightning through the curtain. "You're awful quiet back there . . . no music or anything. Wanna talk?"

"No, but thanks Doc. I'll be fine," Lightning replied as he just watched the miles start to roll by outside his windows.

— — — — —

A while later his phone started ringing. At first, Lightning didn't feel like answering it, but then he decided to anyway as he hit the phone's answer button.

"Hello?" he said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

"Hey there . . . you're missing me already, aren't you?" his favorite voice in the world knowingly said via the phone. "Remember, missing us is my job. Yours is focusing on winning races, for both of us, okay?"

"Listen to her," Doc added from the other side of the curtain. "Sally, you gotta keep this guy motivated here. I can't do it quite the way you can!"

"Gotcha, Doc!" Sally replied through the phone. "Okay, champ, I'm going to lay it on you straight. You love me, you show me by seeing me on the other side of the start line, and then out in front of the pack, and then by seeing me around at the rear of the pack, and then on the other side of the pack again. You keep stretching yourself towards me every single lap okay? You see me across the finish line, and you get your tail to me first, got it? I am there with you in the pits. I am there with you out on that track, every single lap. I want your best, your absolute best! You bring it home to me . . . every lap, every race, okay?"

"Okay," Lightning replied, brightening up somewhat.

"Didn't hear you! . . . Okay?" Sally repeated.

"Okay!" he said with growing enthusiasm.

"Still didn't hear you! Must have a bad connection . . . OKAY?" she repeated again.

"OKAY!" Lightning said loudly and enthusiastically this time.

"All right Stickers! I heard you that time!" Sally cheered. "I'm going to tape record this and send it to you express tonight. Better yet, I'll call you just before you exit the trailer to race tomorrow evening. Just have Doc let me know when you expect that to be, so I can call you at the right time. Together, we are going to have you psyched up and revvin' and rarin' to go, like you've never been before!"

"How are you doing this, Sal? Holding up so well?" Lightning asked with a degree of surprise. "You were crying when I left."

"Flo's been helping me," she replied. "We've had some good talks through the day here. She's helped me realize that just because you're gone, it doesn't mean our love is. She's helped me tune into not just my memories of us together, but into the warm feelings we came to share. I found those feelings are still here with me, keeping me warm until you can again. They're there with you, too. The most basic, important thing is that you and I are in love with each other. Closeness is nice, even important to get things started — but Flo has helped me realize here that you and I are at a point now where we can keep enjoying our love together, no matter where we're each at. I feel that now, and so while I want to be with you again just as soon as possible . . . and I already have some news on that, which I'll share in just a minute here . . . I'm now feeling sustained, even happy with our love, just as I am right now. I am actually feeling great, and I want you to feel great, too, okay? Just know that there is a link between us now — one that can't be broken by distance, or practically anything. I've never known that such a thing could be, or felt it before. But I do now!"

"Wow, Sal," Lightning said, still somewhat amazed, "whatever you're doing really seems to be working for you. I'm glad!"

"You're not quite buying into this yet, are you?" she asked in a warm way.

"Well, I don't know quite how to," he replied, feeling a little confused. "You just seem so different than you were when I left."

"Here, let's try something together," Sally encouraged over the phone. "Even though you're parked in 'my' spot in the trailer . . ."

They both laughed.

" . . . Close your eyes and pretend I'm right in front of you," she continued. "But don't try and see me, just try and feel me. Feel my presence, sense it. Tune into me, and into our love. Just allow yourself to feel me near you."

"I am feeling better," Lightning said with his eyes closed, smiling a bit. "But I don't feel I'm quite where you're at yet."

"How do you prepare for races in your mind, before you go out of the trailer?" she continued. "Do you feel the track running by underneath your tires? The air rushing past you? The presence of other cars you pass as you pull ahead of them? The smells of rubber, oil, and fuel all around? Do you feel the energy of the crowd as you excite them?"

"Yeah," he said, "I do, even more than usual right now."

"Okay," she said, "then feel me just glide in there right beside you. Do you sense that gentle spark? That surge of vague but good energy that you've felt when I am right next to you, especially when I've just done something you feel really good about — something that you admire about me, that just wows you? Just feel that . . ."

"Yeah," Lightning agreed with a smile, his eyes still closed.

"Feel that sensation? That energy?" she asked warmly. "That's our link. That's our love. And it's with each of us all the time now, no matter where we each are. Just think about and tune into that whenever you need a boost, okay? This is the edge you've asked for . . . the edge we now share, always."

"Wow, Sally," Lightning replied, " . . . I do feel you now, and our link and love. All of a sudden, I'm not missing you anymore. I feel you're right here with me, inside."

"That's because I am," she said warmly. "Always with you now, just as you're right here, always with me. Use it, okay? Use me . . . use us to take you farther and faster than you've ever gone before. Just soar!"

"Wow, Sally," Lightning began to marvel. "Could you thank Flo for me . . . for us?"

"I already have when I started to feel good from what she taught me," Sally responded. "She said a wise older friend once taught it to her, when she was missing Ramone while he was off in the military. She said it worked wonders for her, and I believe it now."

"Okay, now that you've got me feeling great right up there with you, what's your news?" Lightning asked.

"Oh yeah," Sally responded, seeming to lose some of her enthusiasm now. "Well, don't let yourself start feeling down here, but I called the Carburetor County Courthouse this afternoon, and the earliest court date I could get to hear any motions on my restraining order is three weeks away. For some reason, the courtrooms there are just booked solid."

"Darn, that's after the next three races," Lightning sighed. "I'll be back home by then, and it's way after the big Texas Oil Bowl race I was really hoping you'd join me for. There are no other options, huh?"

"Not in Carburetor County," she responded. "Don't worry, I'll keep brainstorming and searching for alternatives. Ooops, I'm getting customers here at the motel now. I've gotta run, but just remember our link, and rest up now for your next race during the trip here, okay?"

"You got it, Sal!" Lightning assured. "And you know, you're still incredible . . . even wowing me over the phone here!"

"That's what I'm here for, Stickers!" Sally warmly responded. "I love you . . . bye."

"I love you, too," Lightning responded, " . . . bye."

"Do you know how incredibly lucky you are?" Doc asked through the curtains, unable to help overhearing the whole conversation.

"Yeah, I think I do," Lightning responded with a happy sigh.

— — — — —

Before long, Lightning and the team had arrived at the New Mexico Speedway near Albuquerque, and Doc was already busy putting Lightning through practice laps.

"Kid, you're doing good," Doc said on the crew radio. "I haven't seen you keep up that kind of pace for the last couple races now. What Sally said to you earlier must be working!"

"Yeah," Lightning radioed back with a satisfied smile, "We've got our 'edge' going here between her and I now."

"Now, I want you to maintain that pace while pretending to weave through the pack some, back and forth across the track. Just watch how you approach the turns while doing that though."

Off in a far corner of the pits, a car was watching from the shadows, and on the phone.

"Yeah, he's here . . . running laps right now," the car said into the phone. "I hate to admit it, but he's looking good, better than he has recently. He could be a threat tomorrow . . . Maybe you're right — it might be worth a try sending a message back home to throw him off, maybe even encourage him to pull out. If he's now with whom I think he's with, my chances at a winning season here could be in trouble. Hey, someone's spotting me here. Gotta go. Send that message tonight."

— — — — —

"Welcome back race fans! Once again this is Bob Cutlass with my good friend Darrell Cartrip as always, covering a rare Wednesday night race under the lights here at the New Mexico Motor Speedway near Albuquerque, the Vitoline 200, which is taking place as a lead-up ahead of this weekend's big Texas Oil Bowl race."

"And Bob, this has been quite a race so far," Cartrip continued. "After a not so hot couple of races recently, Lightning McQueen has really turned things around this time. He broke out of the pack early, and has been maintaining a consistent lead. While his unusual but crack crew has given him an edge in the past, this time he almost looks like he's been chasing something out there, but darned if I know what it is!"

"And Darrell, the amazing thing is that McQueen's stellar performance here comes despite unfortunate news from his home town of Radiator Springs today that we just received word of," Cutlass smoothly picked up. "Apparently a fire occurred at his fiancée Sally Carrera's vintage motel, the Cozy Cone. Two of the restored cones there burned to the ground in the early hours of this morning. Fortunately the occupants escaped, but it was the worst fire that town has apparently seen in some time. The Carburetor County Fire Marshal is investigating, and apparently arson is now suspected. But Lightning McQueen continues to race in these final laps as if he's completely unaware of it."

"You're doing great, kid!" Doc coached Lightning on the crew radio. "Just keep pushing a couple more laps and you're home free!"

"I hope Sally's seeing this!" Lightning radioed back enthusiastically as he raced at the head of the pack nearing another turn. "It's the best I've run in a while now. Her encouragement has been great! Any calls from her yet? She's been awfully quiet today. I had expected to talk to her before the race."

"Not now, kid! Focus!" Doc coached. "I told you she said she'd talk to you after the race. She was out of town for something today . . . You've got two cars gaining on you. Hicks looks like he really wants to chew your tail, so move, now! Push it hard, and drive it deep! . . . That's it! . . ."

"Okay, Bob," Darrell exclaimed with increasing enthusiasm, "here we go, the final turns. Hicks and Junior are gaining on McQueen. But wait, McQueen's surging ahead again! LOOK AT HIM GO! IT'S LIGHTNING MCQUEEN BY TWO, NO THREE CAR LENGTHS NOW AS HE APPROACHES THE CHECKERED FLAG! IT'S ALL OVER, WHAT AN IMPRESSIVE WIN FOR LIGHTNING MCQUEEN!"

"Doc," Lightning radioed almost out of breath amid the cheering crowds as he slowed now on the track, "I'm heading straight for the trailer here. I want to talk to Sally now . . . even before the trophy is presented."

"Okay, kid, you've earned it. We'll keep an eye out for the awards ceremony and let you know when it's time," Doc replied. "You might want to dodge the press by going around the back side of the pit buildings to get to the trailer. It's unfortunately over by your sponsor's tent again."

"No problem," Lightning replied on his radio.

Easing quietly off the track at the edge of Pit Row, he managed to slip behind a cordon of security cars and motor down the quiet back alley among the other trailers towards his sponsor's tent.

"McQueen," he then heard a voice echoing through the alley say amid the crowd's continued roar in the background. "Stop for a moment. Stay where you are."

"Who is this?" Lightning asked, unable to make out who was talking to him as he stopped.

"Just stay where you are. You're not going to see me. Just listen," the voice replied.

"What do you want?" Lightning questioned, now on his guard.

"I just want to give you a tip," the voice continued. "Drop your girlfriend. Drop Sally Carrera . . . she's bad news."

"No way!" Lightning angrily responded. "Not going to happen!"

"She could end up hurting you . . . hurting you bad," the voice warned.

"What part of 'no way' don't you understand?" Lightning emphasized.

"Believe me now, or find out later," the voice said ominously. "You're going to get hurt if you don't drop her . . . or she will. Your choice."

Lightning then zoomed down to the end of the alley and looked around the corner. But he saw nothing. No one was there, except pit crews some distance away starting to clean up after the race.

"Hey Lightning!" another voice said from close behind him.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Lightning yelled, scared out of his wits.

"Mack!" Lightning said out of breath as he turned around. "Don't do that to me!"

"Uhh, what's the matter?" Mack asked, surprised. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Mack, I've got to get to the trailer and make some calls," Lightning decided.

"But you've got to make your personal appearance with your sponsor again. I backed up your trailer right to their stage," Mack noted.

"Then stall them! I'll call from the crew section . . . I don't care!" Lightning responded with determination. "Something's going to happen, either to Sally or at the Oil Bowl race coming up, and I've got to do something about it!"

Lightning then broke away from Mack and ducked into his team's crew trailer without anyone at the Rust-eze tent noticing, hurriedly dialing the speakerphone once he was inside. It rang and rang, with no one answering. Lightning began to grow frustrated. Then it strangely clicked, as if the call was being forwarded. The phone began ringing again.

"Fl-Flo's V-8 Café, and the Cozy Cone Motel . . ." a familiar voice finally answered, but in a strangely somber, almost frightened way.

"Sally! This is Lightning," he responded with relief. "How did I get Flo's phone dialing your number? But listen, I've just received an anonymous threat against one or both of us at the track here. I don't feel it's safe you being alone there anymore. I don't care what you have to drop, but get yourself to Texas and meet me at the Oil Bowl. I'd come back with Mack and get you myself, but we'd miss the race if we did. I'm prepared to do that though, if you want me to."

"Stickers, I've got my own news here," Sally said, unable to hide the fear and concern in her voice now. "First, please don't get mad at me or Doc for not telling you earlier. I made him promise not to tell you. I didn't want you being distracted before or during the race. It wouldn't have made any difference here."

"Tell me what?" Lightning asked with growing concern.

"Lightning, my love," Sally sniffed, unable to hide her tears now, " . . . we had a fire at the Cozy Cone last night. Two cones, Three and Four, burned to the ground. Red did a wonderful job all by himself fighting the fires, but he was unable to save them. Mater and I rescued the occupants ourselves just as Red arrived. Thank goodness no one was hurt. The County Fire Marshal came to investigate today, and he now believes it's arson. The motel has been closed as a crime scene for the time being, and Flo is having me stay with her and Ramone, while the Sheriff and the State Highway Patrol Investigations Unit are now watching over the motel."

"That's it, Sally. I'm coming home now," Lightning said with determination.

"No, Stickers, don't quit now," she responded. "Don't let whomever is doing this win. That's what this is all about, getting you to drop out. But I don't know how I can get to the track with you yet, without legally jeopardizing myself. The court date to clear this up is still weeks away."

"Sally, please . . ." he replied. "It's either you find a way to get yourself safely to Texas and be there with me on the track — or I'm dropping out of the Oil Bowl, no matter what it costs me, no matter how big and prestigious a race it is, and I'm coming home to protect you. I love you too much now to let anything else happen to you. Your call, Sal."

Sally paused on the other end of the phone. "Don't quit, Stickers . . ." she finally said. "I'll find a way to be there . . . somehow. I promise."

"How are you holding up, Sally?" Lightning gently asked her.

"Honestly? I'm scared, Lightning," Sally confessed, "as bad as I was when I felt I had to leave L.A. I wanted to call you today, but I knew what it would do to you, and what you would want to do. I just couldn't have held myself together if I did call you earlier. I couldn't hide things or lie to you . . . I just can't! So I let Flo help me here today. She's taken such good care of me. And Mater blames himself for not seeing the arsonists, as the cones were visible from his wrecking yard. You'll have to reassure him that he did the best he could."

"Have him come with you," Lightning suggested. "That'll let him know that I thought he did his best. I think the rest of the county would be willing to cover his towing work for the time being."

"I will. Lightning, I can't wait to see you," Sally said with urgency in her voice. "I don't care anymore if I get sued for everything I own if I step on a track now. I want to be with you."

"I know, Sally," Lightning assured. "But let's see if we can do better than that. I just wish I was there with you right now, when you need me the most."

"You are, my love, you are . . . right here inside me," Sally affirmed to him as she stifled a tear. "I have to go now, okay? I love you, Lightning. I love you so very much! Know that I am very safe and protected with Flo and Ramone tonight, and please be safe yourself . . . for me, okay? Oh, and I did see you win the race just now. Flo insisted I relax and watch it on TV here at the café while we worked the evening shift. It's been good for me to do something here. The announcers even said that you appeared to be chasing something out there on the track. They just didn't know it was me, did they?"

"It was your strategy, Sal. It worked like a charm!" Lightning responded warmly. "And I love you too, Sally. I just so wish I was there with you right now. Just nudge up beside me in your mind and try to get some sleep, okay? And you call me anytime at all tonight if you want to. I'll make some more calls and see if I can get us some help."

"I'll call others on my end, too, that I haven't asked yet for help," she said.

"Deal," he replied.

"I love you, Stickers . . . bye," he heard her say, reluctantly hanging up.

"Love you, too, Sally . . . bye," he replied as he hung up as well.

"Hey, Lightning!" he now heard Mack banging on the crew trailer door. "I got Doc trying to stall the Rust-eze crowd, but they're calling for you. Plus the track officials are looking for you so they can hand you the trophy!"

"Okay, Mack, I'm coming," Lightning said as he opened the crew trailer ramp and came out.

"Listen, Mack," Lightning added as they then motored around to the Rust-eze tent entrance. "The reason I was jumpy in the alley was that I was just given an anonymous threat there against either Sally or myself if I didn't drop her. I've just called her to let her know, and asked her to join us in Texas. She's also just told me about the arson fire back home at the Cozy Cone Motel last night. For now, we've all got to watch each other's bumpers, and be on guard, okay?"

"You can count on me, boss!" Mack said as he started casting a determined eye around the pit area. "No motor scum is going to get their dirty tires on you or this team if 'ol Mack has anything to do with it!"

Deciding to combine two events into one, Lightning called out from the back of the Rust-eze tent, "Okay, attention everyone. This is a victory for our Rust-eze family and friends as much as it is for me and my team! So let's move this party over to the presentation stage, because I want all of you there around me as I accept this trophy. Let's go!"

"Kid," Doc said as he now motored next to Lightning as they led the Rust-eze crowd across the pit area to the presentation stage, "Nice move here. Listen, I'm sorry . . ."

"Doc, don't worry," Lightning assured, knowing what he was about to say. "Sally told me everything just now on the phone, including why she made you promise what you did. I understand, I do. Besides, I just got an anonymous threat against Sally or I from someone in that alley back there who wouldn't show himself."

"You want to go home?" Doc asked.

"Sally and I just decided that I wouldn't," Lightning replied. "We agreed that you and I will proceed to the Oil Bowl, and that she will find a way to safely travel and join us there."

"That's the gutsy thing to do, kid," Doc said with admiration. "I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you both."

"Howdy there, Lightning," Mr. Tex said as he approached them.

"Ah, Mr. Tex," Lightning responded, eager to see him. "Could I talk with you for a minute? Doc, could you keep leading everyone to the presentation stage?" he then asked, glancing at Doc.

"Right this way, folks," Doc said loudly as he gave Lightning a nod and then turned away, urging the Rust-eze crowd to keep following him.

"Lightning," Tex interjected once they he and Lightning were off to one side by themselves. "First, we all heard about what happened to your fiancée and her motel overnight here. We are so sorry. If there's anything we can do to help . . ."

"Well, Mr. Tex," Lightning responded, taking a deep breath, " . . . we, Sally and I, would be very grateful if you would. Basically, the motel fire is now believed to be arson, and I believe someone at the track here knows about Sally's past . . . on the track here, and wants to keep her off the track, and away from me."

"You mean it's true?" Tex asked. "The rumors I've heard going around that your Sally is really that wild Porsche, Sal, who used to hang around here?"

"Yes it is, Mr. Tex," Lightning confirmed. "Sally admitted around the time we decided to get engaged that she was a lost girl back then. She deeply regrets that past, and it still haunts her, even though she's since become a sharp attorney, and now . . . well . . . a restorer of an historic small town."

"Yes, cars do change, Lightning," Tex admitted. "I even had my own wild times during my younger days that I'm not especially proud of. But 'ya know, I heard good things about Sal, too. That maybe she was just with the wrong team, and could have been something around here with the right influence. I just have one question for you though, Lightning . . . do you trust her?"

"With my life, Mr. Tex," Lightning said. "I'm ready to give my life for her right now."

"Well son, that's good enough for me," Tex replied. "I imagine you want her safely escorted to the Oil Bowl, am I right?"

"Yes," Lightning confirmed. "But she has a restraining order against a car here at the track that used to abuse her, that effectively prevents her from being able to set a tire on any Piston Cup circuit racetrack where this car races. She's filed for a hearing at the Carburetor County Courthouse to clear it up, but can't get a court date there for three more weeks."

"Well, that won't do," Tex said, shaking his hood. "She's still a lawyer, right? Could you give me a phone number where I could reach her, right now? You'd better get up there on stage though. Don't worry, I'll get this all started here."

Lightning just started smiling.


	11. Chapter 11

While he once lived for moments like this, Lightning initially felt receiving this trophy was a distraction, even an interference, from what he truly cared about now. Still, it meant a lot to the cars assembled around him, and there was the inevitable press around him flashing cameras and asking questions.

_Others are doing their jobs in all this, things are being taken care of__, _Lightning realized to himself. _My job is here for right now._ He closed his eyes for a second as he drew on Sally's love, as he had done in the race. Then he opened them, ready to go.

"I want to thank the New Mexico Motor Speedway here, Vitoline, the race sponsor, and the entire Albuquerque community for putting on such a great race tonight," Lightning began his acceptance speech. "While it got scheduled just a couple days ahead of another one in Texas, this race was important to me. In the Piston Cup circuit, and in this racing community, each lap, each race, each car that helps make it happen . . . either behind the scenes selling tickets and souvenirs, or out on the track, or especially cheering in the stands . . . each matters — they all count. I didn't always realize this, but I do now. I want to thank you all for making this race, the Vitoline 200, a big event in itself tonight, and I look forward to coming back and racing right here again soon! Thank you!" he said to the appreciative cheers of the crowd.

The inevitable press scrum followed. "Mr. McQueen, how is your town, how is your fiancée doing after the fire there?" one reporter asked.

"Thank you for asking, Kari," Lightning responded. "Sally and the town are naturally a bit shaken up after the fire, and its apparently suspicious nature. But this is a moment of strength for them now, and I am very proud of the town, and of my fiancée."

"And I'd like to say to her directly," he added, looking right at the TV camera, "I love you Sally. You're doing great, and you're the reason I won tonight. I'm continuing to travel and race for you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you just as soon as possible!"

With that, Lightning concluded his informal press conference and proceeded to make his way through the reporters towards his trailer. He noticed Doc was hanging back though, the older car's eye now wincing in pain. Lightning turned around and went back to assist.

"Doc, what's going on?" he asked with concern.

"Oh, just an old racing injury from my '54 crash . . . an underframe crack that flares up once in a while. It passes," Doc assured as he accepted Lightning's help towards the trailer.

"Do you want to see a nurse, or stop for a check-up at the hospital?" Lightning offered.

"No, no nurse," Doc replied, "and we don't have time for a hospital visit. I'll be okay. But I'll tell you straight, kid," he then confided quietly to Lightning as they moved through the crowd towards their trailers. "I want Sally to take over for me, for at least a while. I can't keep this kind of pace up all the time right now."

"Doc, I'm working on getting Sally to Texas as fast as possible," Lightning assured. "Can you hang in here for just one more race?"

"One more race, kid," Doc accepted.

"Hey Lightning!" Tex called out.

"Guido, Sarge, help Doc get settled in the trailer, would you?" Lightning asked them.

"I just finished talking with Sally on the phone," Tex said as he came over to Lightning. "She is the nicest girl now. You are one lucky fellow!"

"Thank you, Mr. Tex," Lightning said.

"Well, we've all gotta run off to Texas here," Tex continued. "But don't you worry, we've got everything set now. Oh, and Sally said she loved what you just said to her on TV. She seemed like she was getting real busy all of a sudden, but wanted you to know in case she couldn't tell you herself. Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got a drive ahead of me now to Texas."

"But where's your helicopter going," Lightning asked, as he noticed the helicopter was already taking off from the Dinoco platform.

"Oh, the helicopter's not going to Texas right now," Tex replied as he turned to leave. "See you at the Oil Bowl. 'Bye!"

"Hey Lightning, time to go!" Mack called out to him now across the pits.

Lightning motored over and backed into his trailer, beginning to connect the dots of what was going on around him. Once he was settled in his spot, Lightning dialed Flo's café number.

"Flo's V-8 Café . . . we're just closing up here," Flo answered this time.

"Flo, it's Lightning, can you pass me to Sally?" he said.

"Oooo, she's real busy all of a sudden after that last call, Lightning," Flo responded. "In fact she's on another phone line right now. I'll see if I can get her for you for a second though . . . hang on."

"Stickers?" Sally answered a moment later.

"Sally, I'm glad to hear you," Lightning said with relief. "What's all going on now?"

"Stickers, I'd love to explain in detail," Sally replied, "but I can't right now. I'm on a call to Los Angeles here, getting an old friend and confidant from my former law firm to help with my restraining order. I've also got a few more things I have to deal with on the fire and insurance as well. The insurance says they're not paying because it's arson, and the Fire Marshal won't allow me to begin clean-up or even access the motel until his investigation is complete. So I'm dealing with all that. Plus I've got to get my belongings out of Cone Seven and get packed to travel. I've even had to put off your Mr. Tex's offer of immediate travel to Texas, as I just can't leave quite yet. Plus, I might have to go to L.A. for a day here, as one of the amendments to my restraining order was filed there, and so the whole thing could be dealt with there, which is why I'm on the other line right now. I promise I'll do my best to make the Oil Bowl race in time though, okay?"

"Wow, is there anything I can do, Sally?" Lightning asked with some amazement.

"Just love me, from right where you're at," Sally asked. "Only you can do that for me, okay? That will make so much of a difference for me right now! Plus, your connecting me with Mr. Tex was a miracle in itself. That was a huge help, Stickers!"

"You got it, Sally," Lightning replied. "I can see you've gotta go now, but know that I truly love you, and will be thinking of you always here!"

"Thank you so much, Stickers! I love you, too, and I want to be there to show you how much I do, just as soon as possible," Sally continued, almost out of breath. "It won't be long now before I'm there with you. I can't wait! Oh, and I loved what you said to me on TV. Mr. Tex told you, right?"

"Yes, he did, Sal," Lightning assured.

"I have to go now," Sally said reluctantly. "Love you . . . bye."

"Love you, too . . . bye," Lightning said as he hung up his phone.

"You better get some rest, kid." Doc advised through the trailer's curtain. "I think we're going to have a busy time in Texas."

"Wow, you're telling me!" Lightning said. "You doing okay up there, Doc?"

"Thanks, I'm as comfortable as I can be right now," Doc said with some discomfort in his voice. "Let's all just get some rest."

— — — — —

"Welcome to the Texas Oil Bowl, coming to you from the Grand Gulf Coast Raceway near Houston, Texas. I'm Bob Cutlass as always with my good friend Darrell Cartrip here on the Racing Sports Network to bring you all the action from this still independent and grand old race."

"Yes, Bob," Cartrip picked up, "the Texas Oil Bowl is in a league all its own. Starting before the Piston Cup circuit became established, the folks here chose to remain independent, and despite changing times, racecars still covet this race's trophy bowl practically as much as they do the Piston Cup. And befitting its maverick status, few Piston Cup winners have won the Oil Bowl in either the same or following seasons. So everyone will be watching primarily two cars in this race, Number Eighty-Six, Chick Hicks, who wound up winning the Piston Cup last season, and Number Ninety-Five, Lightning McQueen, who basically let Hicks win the Piston Cup, choosing instead to stage a grand finish with the retiring King. The wildcard factor here will be Number Eight, Junior, who staged a number of come from behind wins early in this Piston Cup season, especially when McQueen seemed to be at his weakest. Look for Junior to take advantage of any opportunity that may come up . . ."

— — — — —

"Where is Sally?" Lightning asked himself inside his trailer, worrying about where she was instead of psyching himself up for the race as he normally would. "She promised to be here by now! Oh well," he then sighed, "better prep for the race."

"Speed . . . I am speed . . . Sally . . . Where is Sally? . . ." he said as his attention drifted again. "Focus! Come on, that's what Sally would want . . . Speed . . ." he continued.

"Hey Lightning! You ready?" Mack said, banging on his trailer door.

"Mack, where's Sally?" Lightning asked.

"I dunno," Mack replied. "All I know is she's supposed to be en route. Come on though, it's time to go!"

"Alright," Lightning glumly said as he opened his trailer ramp, and attempted to rev his engine for show.

"Come on Stickers, smile," Lightning tried to coach himself using Sally's persona . . . but it, too, didn't last. "Here I am starting yet another race without the encouragement she said she'd be giving me. Showtime," he then said to himself as he adopted a forced smile. "You're a professional . . . do this for the team, and Sally now. She will show!"

The press and cameras surrounded Lightning as thick as ever as he came down the ramp. Without Sally there though, none of it mattered now to Lightning.

Among the many reporters shouting questions, one near him asked, "Lightning McQueen, is it true that your fiancée, Sally Carrera, will be joining you for this race?"

That question stopped Lightning midway down the ramp.

"I don't know," he answered, "I frankly wish I did. No further comment right now."

Lightning realized he'd never answered a question that way before, as he slowly resumed motoring down the ramp.

Doc was at the bottom of the ramp, shaking his hood at what he was seeing. "Son," he said as he then moved alongside Lightning as they slowly made their way to the pits, "we're both in rough shape today, okay? Sally's not here yet for you, and my crack is frankly killing me. We gotta not only get through this race though, but win it . . . despite the pain we're each facing. So let's lean on each other a little here and do this thing right, okay?"

"Thanks, Doc," Lightning said gratefully. "You're right. Are you sure you're up for this today?"

"I have to be," Doc replied gritting his grill, trying to hide his pain. "And so do you. No choice here. I'm here doing this thing for you, so you be here as well, doing it . . . winning it . . . for me, okay? That will make this pain worthwhile."

"I will, Doc," Lightning assured, finding his will to race once again. "You're a real mentor, and friend. I won't let you down."

"Thanks, son," Doc replied. "I know you mean that. Now go out there and race!"

"Sarge," Lightning then said quietly to the Jeep as he passed him on the way into the Pit Lane, "keep an eye on Doc, would you? Be ready to see that Doc gets to a doctor, and take over yourself as Crew Chief if he needs it."

"I will, sir," Sarge assured with an ironclad dedication to the mission he had just been assigned.

"Sarge," Lightning reminded him, "it's Lightning, okay?"

"Yes, sir . . . I mean Lightning!" Sarge corrected himself.

"You've never really adjusted to the civilian world, have you, man?" Fillmore observed to Sarge as Lightning motored away.

As he moved out along Pit Row, Lightning went within himself for an instant. _This could be Doc's last race with me . . . if Sally can't be here to see this, then I'll win this for Doc,_ Lightning vowed as he gunned his engine and zoomed out onto the track to catch up with the rest of the developing pack.

— — — — —

"The cars are all formed up now behind the Pace Car, and it looks like we're ready to start, Darrell," Cutlass commented.

"That's right Bob . . . here we go! Boogity boogity boogity! Let's go racing!" Cartrip exclaimed, as the racecars zoomed under the green flag towards the first turn.

"The three key cars — Hicks, McQueen, and Junior — are all caught in the middle of the pack as the race starts, Darrell," Bob commented.

"That's right, Bob," Darrell picked up. "They're all equally handicapped here as they run through the first turn. The cars in front of them have almost never placed well at the end, but they're making it difficult for the three presumptive leaders here to break out of the pack and move ahead."

"Lightning . . . I'm just not doing well here . . ." Doc soon said with difficulty on the crew radio.

"Doc!" Lightning radioed back.

"I'm sorry . . ." Doc weakly continued, " . . . go and win . . ."

Lightning just plowed ahead through the pack while straining to look for Doc along Pit Row.

"Doc, let Sarge take over," Lightning radioed with concern. "Get to a hospital, now!"

"This is Sarge," a new voice said on the radio. "I've already got medics tending to Doc. There's even a Track Physician on her way. I won't pretend to totally know what I'm doing here, but I'll do my best, sir."

"Sarge, I know you will," Lightning replied, just accepting that Sarge was more comfortable calling him 'sir'. "We're winning this one for Doc, okay? Tell the entire team that. We're winning this one for Doc!"

"Yes, sir!" Sarge confirmed.

"Oh no 'ya don't!" Lightning heard off his right rear quarter.

_Bang!_ Lightning was hit and saw Chick Hicks pull past him as he spun around. Lightning gritted his bumper in determination as he turned his wheels on the infield grass, just as Doc had taught him, and gunned it right back onto the track.

"Oh no _you_ don't!" Lightning retorted as he in turn passed Hicks.

"Hey, McQueen!" Hicks called to him. "Do 'ya know who that Porsche of yours used to hang out with?"

"Let me guess," Lightning called out in response, undeterred. "You?"

"That's right!" Hicks responded, menacingly. "I hope she's been as good a hood ornament for you as she was for me! Actually, she was so good, I'm not inclined to let any other racecar have her. You ready to go down for her?"

"Yes!" Lightning responded with determination. "Since the day I knew who it was who had hurt her! But you are _so_ not going to take me down!"

"I'll see you in the scrap yard, Romeo!" Hicks vowed. "I hope she was worth it!"

"Not now!" McQueen responded as he accelerated away from Hicks.

"Darrell, look at McQueen go!" Bob exclaimed up in the broadcast booth.

"Whoo-eee! He is suddenly opening up one heck of a lead over Hicks and the rest of the pack right now!" Darrell said excitedly. "The question is, can he maintain it? Especially as it seems McQueen's legendary Crew Chief, Doc Hudson, has been replaced by one of the other crew members right now . . ."

— — — — —

The Track Physician moved up beside Doc as the medics began tending to him.

"Now you rest easy, remain still," she counseled him, while also giving orders to the medics. "Let's get him onto that lift there."

"Now how can I remain still when you're moving me onto a lift?" Doc weakly pointed out.

"You know, you talk like an old beau I used to know . . . Wait a minute," she said realizing something, " . . . you're Number Fifty-One, the Fabulous Hudson Hornet! You're 'Doc' Hudson?"

"That's who I am," he replied weakly.

"Do you remember me?" the Track Physician asked, looking into his half-closed eyes.

Doc's vision was blurred by the pain he was fighting. But the blur in front of him looked familiar . . . fifty years familiar.

"It can't be . . ." he said, a tear almost forming in one eye.

"Skids, it's me . . . Dora," she said. "I never knew what happened to you after you left. I looked for you . . ."

"You became a doctor, too?" he asked, half-amazed.

"Yep," she confirmed. "I was too ornery to be just a nurse!"

"Don't I know that!" he weakly laughed.

"Let me guess . . . it's that crack acting up from your '54 crash, the one that nearly crippled you for life," she surmised. "You've been dirt racing again recently, haven't you?"

"Can't fool you," he said, almost whispering now.

"Mind if we talk after I get you 'sealed' up here, properly this time?" she suggested.

— — — — —

"Uhh . . . do you want to come in for a pit stop anytime soon?" Sarge radioed uncertainly from his Crew Chief's position.

"No not yet, Sarge," Lightning radioed back. "Our usual tactic is to wait for a Yellow flag so we don't lose much ground, or else I try to gain more ground before I come in. I should be good for the moment here, but I'll try and come around on the rest of the pack, and then maybe come in sometime during the next few laps. You've got to keep an eye on Chick Hicks behind me though. He's going to try and crash me . . . I know it."

"Roger!" Sarge replied, "Sorry for not being up to snuff on Standard Operating Procedure here."

"Sarge, you're doing great!" Lightning assured. "I'm glad you're there!"

— — — — —

"Bob, look," Darrell directed. "The Dinoco helicopter's arriving . . . in the middle of the race!"

"Right you are, Darrell," Bob confirmed. "This is highly unorthodox for their helicopter to land in the pit area at a time like this! Dinoco chairman Devlin Tex must have a very good reason for making such an arrival."

"He's not on the helicopter, Bob," Darrell observed. "He's already in his suite next to us!"

"Then who's in that helicopter?" Bob asked.

"Wait . . ." Darrell continued, "It's . . . it's . . . Sally Carrera! Lightning McQueen's fiancée, Sally Carrera, is emerging now from the helicopter atop the Dinoco platform! And one of McQueen's other crew members, a tow truck that goes by the name 'Mater' is getting out behind her!"

"Right you are, Darrell!" Bob picked up. "They've made their way off the Dinoco platform and seem to be heading towards McQueen's pit area . . ."

— — — — —

"Sally Carrera! Sally Carrera!" a familiar voice called to Sally amid the crowd of press surrounding her and Mater now as they made their way across the pit area.

"Dana!" Sally responded recognizing Starlighter. "Just the car I was hoping to see!"

"I need a favor from you," Sally quickly said. "I need to be able to watch the entire track throughout the race. Could you set me up with some kind of video feed to McQueen's pit area, preferably visible from the Crew Chief's position?"

"Can do!" Dana replied. "We'll set up a split-screen feed. My cameravan is on it now!"

— — — — —

"Hey boss," a Crew Chief said, " . . . look who's stepped out of the Dinoco helicopter and is moving across the pit area right now. It's on the big screen!"

"No! No way!" Hicks growled angrily as he looked at the screen. "We had it set up where it was impossible for her to come back."

"She's back, I'm telling you," the Crew Chief said. "And she's stepping onto his Crew Chief's platform!"

"That's it, I'm taking McQueen out now!" Hicks vowed.

— — — — —

"Stickers!" Sally radioed to Lightning, just as she put on her headset, "I'm in position. Chick's Chief has just been looking right at me and talking on his headset. Chick will be coming after you now. Be ready to react on my cues."

"Ready, Sally! But Chick is already after me — he knows I know about him and you!" Lightning confirmed back on the crew radio. "Sal, it's so good to have you here!"

"Understood! Glad to be here, too, Stickers," she quickly replied. "But let's save the hellos for later! Okay, he's ten cars behind you, but coming up fast," Sally said focused on the split-screen TV monitor that Dana and her cameravan had just set up beside the Crew Chief's station. "He's four cars behind . . . now two . . . he's one car behind. On your left tail, move left and block him . . . Good . . . PUSH IT he's trying to ram you!"

Lightning pulled away from Chick, leaving him frustrated.

"You're about to overtake some stragglers, move in between them and lose him," Sally continued. "Good, way to go! He's still after you though. Wait, he just knocked one of the stragglers to the infield. They've called a Yellow while the wreck's cleared, so bring it in for fuel and tires. You must be due by now."

"Coming in," Lightning replied. "And you're right, as always . . . I am due!"

"The 'Sal' is back!" Sally smiled. "In a good way now though!" she added.

When he pulled up, while Guido went to work on tires and Sarge fueled him, Lightning could only say, "Wow, Sally . . . my dream has just come true!"

"All for you, Stickers!" she responded with a quick smile. "You're done, GO!"

Lightning focused ahead again, zooming out back onto the track, ahead of both the pace car and the pack.

"Great going Stickers!" Sally radioed. "You're maintaining your lead. Get around behind the pack while you can here, and keep Chick ahead of you. If he breaks out of the pack ahead, get on his tail and stay there. He can't afford to let you pass him, so the only way he can get behind you is to make that lap up. Don't let him."

"I got it, Sal!" Lightning confirmed. "I love my Crew Chief!"

"Love my Lightning," Sally smiled. "But later! Focus! . . . Wait, Chick's coming in for a pit stop. Stand by to come in again, we don't want him getting behind you."

"Hey, Sal Gal," Hicks yelled from his pit spot near her as he stopped for tires and fuel, "Miss me and the times we used to have? . . . Awww, come on. 'Ya gotta be missing that 'hood ornament' glamour with me, just a little!"

Sally ignored Chick and his taunts. "Bring it in Stickers," she directed.

"Well, you made a real mistake in coming back! Because you're here . . . your car-toy's going down, now!" Hicks warned as he sped out.

"Now!" Sally radioed, "Follow him out. Don't stop here!"

Sally allowed herself a smile as Lightning was right back on Chick's tail, and still in the lead by a lap over the pack.

"Okay, you've got a green!" Sally advised. "Stay on him!"

— — — — —

"Bob, this is amazing!" Darrell exclaimed up in the booth. "Lap after lap, Hicks is not shaking McQueen off his rear! Slowing down, speeding up, dodging . . . McQueen is matching Hicks move for move! McQueen has a whole lap over Hicks though. He doesn't need to be doing this for conventional reasons. The tactics here appear to be purely psychological. McQueen is either trying to psych Hicks out, or avoid Hicks' usual brand of bang 'em up racing. This is becoming one incredible grudge match between these two!"

"Way to go, Stickers! You're wearing him down!" Sally radioed. "He's second, you're first. You've now got three laps to go. He hasn't been making many moves lately, but be ready for one more big one. He'll be desperate here as he runs out of laps."

"Hey McQueen," Hicks called back, taunting Lightning. "You want to know what kind of times I had with Sal? . . . She was real good for crashing!"

"Stickers, I heard that from him over the radio here!" Sally radioed urgently to Lightning. "Don't give in! Don't become like him! Stay focused! He can't hurt me anymore! Stay on his tail and beat him, the right way!"

"Come on, McQueen," Hicks continued. "You got me! Bring it on, 'ya go cart wimp! You know, my boys torched the wrong cones the other night! They were supposed to fry Sally . . . or at least give her a good tan!"

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM STICKERS!" Sally yelled, knowing what Lightning now wanted to do with every bolt in his chassis. "Focus on me, my voice only! Hang back from him so you don't hear him as well! Don't do it! Please don't do it . . . for me, okay?"

"Sally . . ." Lightning hesitated amid his growing rage inside. "I gotta . . . I want to . . ."

"No Lightning . . . you don't. Not if you love me . . ." Sally said deliberately through a few tears.

"I . . . I . . ." Lightning struggled within himself, ". . . I love you! . . . Talk to me, Sally! Keep giving me strength . . . to do things _our_ way!"

"YES STICKERS! Thank you, my love! Thank you so much!" Sally cried with relief into her headset. "I am right with you, my love, right with you! Okay final lap coming up here . . . Wait, look, he's charging round for the pack now! . . . This is it, stay right on him. If he goes loose and skids though, back off!"

"I'll take you down, McQueen, if I have to take out every car on this track!" Hicks vowed.

"Bob, look!" Darrell exclaimed with alarm in the booth. "Hicks is going insane! He's knocking cars in the pack left and right! A big pile-up is starting in Turn Three, and McQueen's right in the middle of it all behind Hicks!"

"Hicks has now hit Car Eighty-Three into the wall at the turn!" Bob exclaimed. "EIGHTY-THREE IS NOW BOUNCING OFF THE WALL BACK INTO HICKS! HE'S HIT! _HICKS IS NOW FLYING! HE'S NOW FLYING END OVER END INTO THE INFIELD!_ THERE IS NOW A HUGE CLOUD OF SMOKE IN TURN THREE! WE CAN'T SEE MCQUEEN! _WHERE IS MCQUEEN?_"

"STICKERS!" Sally yelled in fear.

"THERE IS A HUGE CLOUD OF SMOKE, AND WE CAN HEAR CARS CRASHING!" Bob continued. "WAIT . . . THERE HE IS! LIGHTNING MCQUEEN HAS BURST OUT OF THE SMOKE! HE IS SCRATCHED AND DENTED, BUT IS NOW GOING FULL BORE FOR THE FINISH LINE!"

"Checkered flag! You've got it Stickers!" Sally yelled. "GO! BRING IT HOME TO ME!"

"IT'S LIGHTNING MCQUEEN ALONE ACROSS THE FINISH LINE BY YARDS AHEAD OF ANYONE ELSE!" Bob yelled in the booth. "LIGHTING MCQUEEN HAS WON ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE TEXAS OIL BOWLS IN THE HISTORY OF THIS RACE!"

"Lightning McQueen is now slowing down in the backstretch as he approaches the turn and the Pit Lane in victory, Bob," Darrell continued with relief now. "Sally Carrera is getting down from her Crew Chief's stand, still with her headset on, and is rushing out into the Pit Lane to greet McQueen as he slows approaching her! What an incredible finish!"

"Oh Stickers, you had me worried there for a second!" Sally said, crying with relief and joy, as Lightning arrived in front of her.

"Sal," he said, " . . . in that smoke, there was just one way I was determined to come home to you . . . across the finish line. I just thought of you on the other side of that line like you've said, and went for it. But where's Chick?" he asked.

"Wrecked," she soberly replied. "I just saw it on the screen. His frame is broken in two, his roof's caved in, his engine is lying out on the field . . . he's gone."

They nudged each other deeply as the press surrounded them.

"Sally, thank you for keeping me from doing what I wanted to do out there," Lightning said. "You had my life in your tires more than you realized at that moment."

"I wasn't going to let him wreck you," Sally said to Lightning, " . . . either on the outside, or on the inside."

Doc then limped slowly through the crowd towards Lightning and Sally . . . with some new help! "Kid, I'm proud of you!" he said. "I'm proud of you, too, Sally! You're where you belong now . . . where I've wanted to see you for a little while here — at the track, right beside Lightning. I see great things ahead for you two . . . things I could only dream about."

"Doc, what are you still doing here?" Lightning asked. "I told Sarge to see that you got to a hospital."

"That's what I've been trying to tell him for almost the entire race!" Dora, the Track Physician, chimed in beside Doc, allowing just a slight smile to show.

"You think I was going to miss this!" Doc replied. "Besides, I've got my own full-fledged doctor right here beside me! She pumped me with enough stuff to ease the pain, so I was fine enough to at least watch the race."

"I'm Dr. Dora DeVille, Track Physician . . . and a very old friend of Doc Hudson here," Dora said, introducing herself.

"I'm Sally Carrera, Crew Chief . . . now, I guess," Sally responded in kind, " . . . as well as business manager, and this is my fiancée and champion racecar, Lightning McQueen."

"They always forget about niceties like actual introductions," Dora said aside to Sally.

"They do, don't they!" Sally replied.

"Excuse me, ladies, but Dora and I made a deal here," Doc interjected as he looked at her. "So I'm off to the hospital now for a bit. I've got some healing ahead . . . plus 50 years of catching up, and fixing one mistake I wish I'd never made."

"Okay, Skids . . . enough talk." Dora knowingly said. "Let's go."

"'Skids', huh Doc?" Lightning mused. "It fits!"

"You're one to talk, Stickers!" Sally said warmly to Lightning. "Take care Doc, and let someone like Dora take care of you for a change, okay?"

"I don't think that'll be a problem!" Doc called out as he and Dora left through the crowd together.

Now Junior and his Crew Chief made their way through the crowd to Lightning and Sally.

"Sal . . ." Junior said, "Sally . . . that was the sharpest piece of racing we have _ever_ seen. Even we had to admire the level you and Lightning were running at today. We could tell that wasn't just him out there!"

"Thank you," Sally said, surprised and gratified.

Lightning just smiled at her as he continued to nudge against her.

"Welcome back to the circuit!" Junior continued. "Some of us missed you. Actually, we were about to make you an offer and hire you away when you disappeared years ago. We knew about how you were being treated. We could see some of those marks weren't paint and makeup, and I'm sorry we didn't do something about it all those years ago."

"Thank you . . . that means a lot to me," Sally quietly responded.

"While nothing could ever make up for what we didn't do back then," Junior continued, " . . . we'd like to make you a couple of offers right now."

"Well . . ." she said looking at Lightning, "I'm pretty happy where I'm at now."

"I can see that!" Junior responded with a smile. "No, what I'd like to offer is different . . . two things. First, I understand you're a lawyer now . . . the first one we've ever had working on pit row here. I think you'd be perfect to serve on, even chair, our circuit's Rules Committee. For a long time, I've wanted to clean up and reform racing around here . . . eliminate the kind of cheating we've seen here, even today. That kind of thing just brings us all to a bad end. I'd like to nominate you for that, even help you get on that committee. You'd do us all a world of good there."

"Second," Junior continued, "our congratulations to both Lightning and yourself on your engagement. While where you two get married, and whom you invite, is of course up to you . . . many of us on the circuit would like to support and celebrate you two as you start your life together. It would mean a lot if we could help throw a wedding for you at the track here . . . even at the Piston Cup championship itself this year. It'd be the first wedding ever there! Your choice, of course!" he assured.

"Thank you, so much," Sally said as she looked back at Lightning. "I'll gladly accept your first offer . . . so long as it's okay with you, Lightning. It might mean more time out on the road, and maybe apart some times . . ."

"Go for it, Sally!" Lightning encouraged, "The circuit needs it, and I'd be proud . . . very proud."

"As to your second offer, I think I'd have to consult our 'home town team'," she said.

"Track! . . . Piston Cup! . . . Track! . . ." the Radiator Springs Racing Team all urged unanimously.

"Well . . ." Sally said as she looked at Lightning once again.


	12. Chapter 12

"Welcome race fans to the Piston Cup Championship Race, coming to you from the Arizona Motor Speedway. This is Bob Cutlass once again with my good friend, Darrell Cartrip. In an unprecedented turn of events, the Piston Cup championship was moved just weeks ago here to Arizona . . . we're told to enable both the entire town of Radiator Springs, now racecar Lightning McQueen's adopted home town, to attend the race . . . and because, regardless of the outcome today, we're also told there's going to be a wedding on the track afterwards."

"And we all know who that's going to be for, Bob," Darrell picked up. "This has been an incredible year for Lightning McQueen and his new Crew Chief and fiancée, Sally Carrera. While McQueen had a weak start at the beginning of the season, since the two of them teamed up on the track at the Texas Oil Bowl, they have proven to be an unbeatable combination, establishing a fairly commanding points lead coming into this championship race. But while the outcome of the wedding later is as certain as the track is solid, winning this race for them would just be the perfect wedding present . . . ideal icing on the cake of their storybook year, Bob!"

"The Thunder Angels Fighter Flight Demonstration Team has just passed by overhead!" Bob noted amid their roar.

"Yes, Bob," Darrell added, "it just wouldn't be the Piston Cup Championship Race, at least when it's daylight, without a visit from them to start it off!"

"The racecars are all in position behind the Pace Car, Darrell . . . and we're ready to start!" Bob continued.

"Boogity boogity boogity . . . let's go racing!" Darrell exclaimed in his trademark way.

"Okay Stickers, it's showtime!" Sally radioed. "The rest of the pack aren't going to make it easy for us, even today. Do what we do now . . . get out front of the pack, establish a lead, and then defend it while you chase around to the pack's tail. I love my Stickers! Go do it for us!"

"Love my Crew Chief! I'm on it!" Lightning replied, getting down to business as he accelerated forward on the track.

"Wow!" Bob exclaimed, "Look at McQueen go! He's surging out of the pack now, attempting to establish a dominant lead early."

"Yeah, Bob!" Darrell exclaimed. "He's sending a message out right from the git go he intends to command this race. I just hope he doesn't burn himself out prematurely. But I think his Crew Chief will ensure he paces himself."

"Right you are, Darrell!" Bob picked up. "Something also tells me he's got more to run on today of all days than usual . . . an edge of heart that no one else quite has!"

"Can't argue with you there, Bob," Darrell agreed.

"As the race continues with McQueen in an early lead, we'll return after these commercial messages . . ." Bob concluded.

— — — — —

"We're back now as we edge towards the final laps of the Piston Cup championship race. This is Bob Cutlass with my friend Darrell Cartrip still with you here."

"It has been quite a race, Bob," Darrell picked up. "While McQueen has managed to maintain the lead for most of the race, the other cars and teams have picked up their game and put the pressure on him. McQueen has had to run hard, very hard to maintain his lead, which should force him to take one more pit stop before the end of this race. The challenge for he and his Crew Chief Sally Carrera is to time it just right to minimize the amount of ground he'll have to make up afterwards."

"Okay, Stickers," Sally radioed, "I want you to push it hard through the pack ahead before the next turn and then bring it right in for the last pit stop. We are all ready for you here."

"Guido . . . Sarge . . . Fillmore . . . Mater . . . on your marks!" she ordered to them.

"McQueen is once again pushing through the pack, Darrell!" Bob observed.

"Right you are, Bob!" Darrell continued, "We've seen him do this before . . . gain as much ground as possible before the pit stop, so he has less to make up afterwards . . . Here he goes into the pits! His crew should put on quite a show again!"

Guido did his now trademark 'tire toss' precisely as Lightning screeched to a stop in front of Mater's Radiator Springs Racing sign, just as Sally had been having them rehearse. Sarge and Fillmore fueled as Guido moved in a blur around them.

"This is ours, Stickers," Sally quickly told Lightning, "Done! GO!"

"Another incredible in and out pit stop for Lightning McQueen!" Bob Cutlass exclaimed.

"Yessiree, Bob!" Darrell picked up. "He didn't lose much ground at all to Junior and the other leaders. He's basically forced them to either forfeit their last pit stops or lose this race. Unlike past races, there just haven't been many interruptions or yellow flags this time to provide the normal pauses in the race that most cars have come to depend on for their pit stops."

"Right you are, Darrell," Bob continued. "Clearly, Sally Carrera's innovative leadership on the circuit's Rules Committee is already paying off in a safer, cleaner race here."

"Yep, Bob," Darrell almost sighed, " . . . the old days of 'Demolition Derby' racing appear to be long gone. How she has time to do this though, plus be a Crew Chief, run one motel while rebuilding another one in Radiator Springs, be business manager for McQueen and his affairs, and still be in good with one of the nation's top racecars . . . it all is something I'll never know!"

"As McQueen himself now says, it's clearly a 'team effort'," Bob picked up, segueing to a brief video clip of Lightning and Sally in their trailer on the road . . .

"As you can see," Lightning said in the clip now, " . . . Sally and I make a great working team, both on and off the track. I actually used to get bored traveling in this trailer, but no more. We make calls, have planning meetings, get things done, all right here. Even though conditions are a bit cramped now compared to what they used to be when I was here alone — with Sally, I just don't mind!"

"We're going over ideas for the team's new headquarters and visitors' center right now," Lightning continued as the camera view panned across some papers on a low, retractable table between them towards Sally, "while Sally's even on a call with Harv, my agent here. So I'd better be a little quiet!"

"Well, let's try looking at it this way," Sally said on the phone while she smiled and waved at the camera with a tire.

The view then panned back to Lightning. "She just helps keep me focused, and I help keep her going," he then continued. "Everyone around us helps, too. While I'd appreciate a vacation sometime, and I'm sure Sally would as well . . . as long as I have her next to me, I couldn't ask for better, I just couldn't!"

" . . . That's Lightning McQueen, revealing some of his team secrets," Bob Cutlass resumed again. "But back to the race now, McQueen is in fourth position making his way through the pack again with only three laps to go. The question now is, will he be able to push through and pull out in front?"

"Stickers, the leaders look like they're working together to try and block you," Sally radioed, "Hang back more for a second, let them settle down and look for an opening. You can only afford to do that for just so long though before you'll just have to try going for it . . . Wait . . . Wait . . . Snap! Last lap now! . . . Wait . . . We starved one of 'em out! Gap on the right, PUSH IT!"

"McQueen is zooming past the three leaders, running tight against the wall!" Bob exclaimed. "One of them, Number Seventy, Walt Rooks, is dropping out! Looks like he's out of gas!"

"McQueen's 'pit stop' pressure tactic worked!" Darrell added. "Now the other leader, Number Seventy-Three, Dalton Tracker, is dropping out too! But Junior is seeing McQueen surge, and having failed to hold McQueen back, Junior's pushing ahead with the last gas he's got!"

"GO! GO! GO! STICKERS! PUSH IT FOR ALL YOU'VE GOT!" Sally yelled. "JUNIOR'S RIGHT WITH YOU! STRETCH IT! PUSH IT! BRING IT HOME TO ME!"

"THE CROWD IS ROARING!" Darrell exclaimed breathlessly. "LIGHTNING MCQUEEN IS CLOSING HIS EYES AND PUTTING EVERY LAST OUNCE OF HIMSELF INTO RUNNING FOR THE FINISH! HE'S OPENING THEM AGAIN JUST AS HE'S COMING UNDER THE CHECKERED FLAG!"

"IT'S . . . LIGHTNING MCQUEEN BY A CAR AND A HALF OVER JUNIOR!" Bob exclaimed. "JUST A CAR AND A HALF! BARELY TWENTY FEET AFTER FOUR HUNDRED LAPS SPELLS ALL THE DIFFERENCE! WHAT A RACE, DARRELL! WHAT A RACE FOR THE PISTON CUP AND FOR LIGHTNING MCQUEEN AND SALLY CARRERA!"

"LISTEN TO THEM BOB!" Darrell continued. "THE CROWD IS JUST EXPLODING AROUND HERE WITH EXCITEMENT AND THRILLS LIKE I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!"

"YOU HAVE DONE IT STICKERS!" Sally yelled with joy on the radio. "WE HAVE WON OUR FIRST PISTON CUP . . . TOGETHER!"

"KAA-CHOWW!" Lightning yelled, pumping a tire into the air as he cruised around the backstretch. "SALLY I LOVE YOU!"

"I LOVE YOU TOO, LIGHTNING!" Sally yelled in joy. Calming down just a little, she added, "Take a full victory lap, Stickers! Pass the pits! You've earned it!"

"Sal, come out here on the track and join me!" Lightning radioed back.

"Darrell, look!" Bob exclaimed, "McQueen's Crew Chief Sally Carrera has taken off her headset and is now moving down the Pit Lane! McQueen is actually speeding up again as he comes back onto the home stretch! It looks like they're going to meet on the track at Turn One! Lightning McQueen and Sally Carrera are now on the track together! And they're taking a victory lap not at a leisurely pace, but at over 120 miles per hour! Side by side! The other racecars are now joining in behind them into . . . INTO A HEART FORMATION! A HEART SHAPE MADE UP OF EIGHT CARS! A SECOND HEART IS FORMING UP BEHIND THEM NOW AS WELL! TWO HEART FORMATIONS ARE NOW FOLLOWING LIGHTNING MCQUEEN AND SALLY CARRERA AROUND THE TRACK! STILL AT OVER 120 MILES PER HOUR! LOOK AT THEM GO!"

"THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED, BOB!" Darrell exclaimed. "THE CROWD IS ABSOLUTELY WILD! WHAT A VICTORY LAP! WHAT A SHOW! WHAT A SHOW!"

Lightning and Sally just glanced at each other, and gently touched, as they sped along the track, smiling at both each other and the crowd. It was all they needed to say.

— — — — —

"Ladies and Gentlecars!" Bob Cutlass, now as track announcer as well began. "In a history-making move, the Piston Cup will now be presented . . . as part of a Wedding ceremony to which you are all now invited to stay for. So that all of you can see this up close, the bride and groom have agreed to have the ceremony performed out on the track itself at a more leisurely speed of 50 miles an hour. Please turn your attention now to the moving platform truck now out on the track where the honorable, and fabulous, 'Doc' Hudson Hornet will be presiding."

"Thank you, Bob Cutlass," Doc picked up wearing his own headset and mike so he could be heard on the loudspeakers. "Even though I'm a judge in Radiator Springs, I haven't often had the opportunity to perform marriages in our small town. So it gives me great pleasure today to first invite the groom to join me now on the track!"

"McQueen is now moving along Pit Row," Darrell said, up in the broadcast booth, "followed by his Best Truck, Mater, and basically his entire Pit Crew from Radiator Springs. His crew has done a really fast clean 'n polish job, getting the racing dirt off him. It looks like some additional custom paint striping has even just been applied for the occasion! He's also gone and donned dress white wall tires now . . . those things must be coming back into fashion! The crowd is cheering as Lightning is emerging onto the track. He's actually out in front of Doc Hudson. McQueen is briefly surging ahead now, racing basically a full lap around the track so he can get behind Doc Hudson amid the cheers once again of the crowd. Now, finally McQueen is slowing again as he arrives behind Doc Hudson on the platform truck, as his groomscars work to catch up with him."

Doc then continued, "I now invite the bride to come out and join us on the track."

"The traditional Wedding March is now playing on the loudspeakers," Bob Cutlass continued with his own part of the TV commentary again, "as the bride, Sally Carrera, emerges onto the Pit Lane followed by her Maid of Honor, Flo Impalas, owner of the now famous Flo's V-8 Café in Radiator Springs, and an entourage of several bridesmaids, drawn we're told from both Radiator Springs and the racing community. Carrera is wearing a bridal veil on her roof and thin white walls herself to match McQueen, plus a floral bouquet on the front of her hood. She is now racing out onto the track. Look at Carrera go! She is surging to over 100 miles an hour, her veil flowing gracefully behind her around the turn onto the backstretch as the crowd cheers wildly. Now she's slowing to join beside McQueen before Doc Hudson, as her bridesmaids catch up with her. The families and the rest of the wedding party are now also forming up behind them on the track."

"Dearly beloved," Doc now announced, "we gather here now to join this racecar and this Porsche in the treasured estate of matrimony. Hopefully, these two are already realizing that life is more than just about winning the race, it's also about enjoying the journey . . . together."

"By custom," he then continued, "I now ask if there is any car who has a reason why these two may not be wed? Speak now or forever hold your peace . . . Hearing none — and there'd better not be any — do you Lightning, take Sally to be your lawfully wedded wife . . . to have and to treasure from this day forward . . . in victory and defeat, in breakdown and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I DO!" Lightning said loudly and enthusiastically so that all could hear, as he looked at her.

"Do you Sally," Doc continued, "take Lightning to be your lawfully wedded husband . . . to have and to treasure from this day forward . . . in victory and defeat, in breakdown and in health . . . for as long as you both shall live?"

"I DO!" Sally also said enthusiastically, as she looked back at her groom.

"Who bears the gold license plate frames?" Doc asked.

"Why 'ya know I do here . . . with Guido!" Mater responded.

"Guido, please proceed," Doc directed, "as the bride and groom now share their vows."

"Comé?" Guido responded, looking confused while not doing anything.

"Guido," Sally translated, "attacca prego la mia struttura della targa di immatricolazione."

"Ah!" Guido said as he deftly proceeded to replace the silver license plate frame on Sally's tail with a gold one, all still at 50 miles per hour as they continued to round the track.

Lightning then said, "With this frame, I take you, Sally, as my wife, and beloved partner for life. You have already done and given so much for me. You are teaching me what it means to live for another, as well as with another. You have come through more than your share of hardship in life. I cannot help but admire you for that. I promise to go the extra mile for you in understanding, support, and love every day from now on. I now dedicate myself to being the husband you so richly deserve!"

"A great cheer is now arising from the crowd," Bob noted to the TV audience.

"Look at Sally there!" Darrell continued. "She is clearly moved by what he just said. Never thought I'd be calling play-by-play at a weddin', but here we are!"

"Right you are, Darrell," Bob transitioned. "And now it's time for the bride's vows . . ."

"Sally, I forgot! I don't have a license plate," Lightning pointed out to her, suddenly remembering this despite his miked voice being broadcast on the loudspeakers around the track.

"Well, you do now!" Sally responded, her own voice echoing across the stadium as well, as she then said towards Guido. "Guido, prego gli mostra la sua targa di immatricolazione."

" . . . Which, for our non-Italian-speaking viewers, translates as 'Guido, please show him his license plate,' according to an Italian speaker we have on staff," Bob Cutlass explained. "We will go to live translation, should more Italian be spoken during this ceremony."

Guido came forward beside Lightning and showed him a brand new Arizona plate that read . . .

95LSMQN

"I get most of it," Lightning said, " . . . but what's the 'S' for?"

"It's for either 'Stickers' . . . or me!" Sally replied.

"That's where you belong . . . right in the heart of me!" he said gladly, as Guido retreated and went to work behind him.

"Lightning," Sally said, resuming with her vows, " . . . with this frame, I take you as not only my husband, but my dearest, deepest love . . . for life. You have already rescued me, saved me . . . more than you will ever know. I promise to support you through your challenges, share your burdens, understand and love you through your sorrows and frustrations, and to chase our dreams together right by your side. I swear I will let nothing come between us, and yet share our blessings with others around us. You are my husband, but that does not begin to adequately describe all that you mean to me. I now dedicate myself, willingly and lovingly, to being the wife you so richly deserve."

"Listen to the cheer now going up from the crowd!" Darrell exclaimed. "This is just incredible!"

"Now, by special request of the bride and groom," Doc Hudson continued as the cheering died down some, "I present this year's Piston Cup to Lightning and Sally together . . . just engraved with both of their names, and filled with natural spring water right from Radiator Springs, from which they will take their first sips together as husband and wife. Even though they were a pretty sure bet, based on points alone, for this trophy . . . 'ya all can see now why they really wanted to win today's race . . . Otherwise, I might have had to lend them one of mine for this!"

" . . . This marks the first time ever that a Crew Chief has been honored on a Piston Cup along with the winning racecar," Bob noted. "But Lightning McQueen apparently insisted on it, claiming he would not have won this season without Sally Carrera."

"And his early season results before they teamed up together at the Texas Oil Bowl would tend to bear that out, Bob," Darrell added.

"Now watch carefully everyone," Doc continued over the PA speakers, " . . . because passing this cup among the bride and groom here, without spilling it all, is going to be one of the greatest stunts ever performed on a race track!"

"Where's a drum roll when 'ya need it Bob?" Darrell observed.

"Well, I think we have one, actually, if our director here can cue it!" Bob responded. "Yes, I'm told, so here it is!"

A drum roll now sounded throughout the stadium.

"Oh, oh," Darrell noted, " . . . we're almost causing the bride to spill the cup here, she's laughing so hard!"

"You can do it, Sal!" Lightning affirmed to her, trying to keep from laughing hard himself!

"Ohh, oh my goodness! Okay . . ." Sally said breathlessly amid her laughing, "Okay here goes!"

"She's taking a sip," Darrell closely observed, " . . . and yes, she's holding the cup aloft in victory with a tire, still running on just three tires . . . and she appears to have avoided swallowing down the wrong pipe and choking!"

"What a call, Darrell!" Bob continued. "And thanks to our director there for the well-timed 'ta-da'. Now they're passing the cup between them, and let's see how the groom does."

"Somehow," Darrell observed, "I don't think this element will be repeated in future wedding ceremonies, in quite this way!"

"Might have to agree with you there, Darrell," Bob picked up. "The degree of difficulty is significant!"

"Come on, Stickers," Sally said to him. "This was your idea!"

"Could you help me be serious for a minute!" Lightning responded, trying to stifle his own laughing as the drum roll resumed around them.

"The groom is now taking a sip," Bob commented, " . . . and he now holds the cup aloft in victory as well!"

"But it looks like he did take a bit down his air intake, Bob," Darrell noted, "as he is now sputtering, even backfiring a bit!"

"McQueen is not letting it slow him down though as he maintains pace with the bride," Bob added. "He is now passing the cup safely to one of their team members, Guido again. But there is one more possibly challenging element yet to come . . ."

"Now," Doc continued as he looked at Lightning and Sally, " . . . by the power vested in me by the State of Arizona, and by all assembled here and even via television, I hereby pronounce you car and wife. You may kiss the bride."

"Okay, Sal . . . down to the grass for a second and into a drift skid, just as Doc coached us!" Lightning said, still miked on the loudspeakers.

"Oh boy, I've been wonderin' how they were gonna do this at speed here!" Darrell exclaimed.

"Yes, Darrell," Bob picked up. "Lightning and Sally are now moving down towards the grass at near Turn Two . . . they're picking up speed . . . they are briefly separating . . . they're now turning towards each other. LOOK! THEY ARE NOW EACH SKIDDING SIDEWAYS ACROSS THE GRASS AS THEY KISS EACH OTHER! THE CROWD IS JUST ROARING WITH APPROVAL! THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE SIGHT! THEY ARE FINISHING THE KISS JUST IN TIME AS THEY RETURN TO THE TRACK, AND ARE NOW ONCE AGAIN MOVING ALONG THE TRACK AS THEY RESUME THEIR ORIGINAL POSITIONS BEHIND DOC HUDSON! THEY DIDN'T MISS A BEAT HERE! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!"

"RIGHT YOU ARE BOB, RIGHT YOU ARE!" Darrell continued. "That's one move that just begs to be seen again in slow-motion instant replay . . . There's the turn . . . the skid . . . there's the kiss . . . and the successful separation and recovery! One more time! . . . Turn . . . Skid . . . Kiss . . . And recovery! They must have been practicing this move together for weeks here, somehow without any of us knowing about it! I hate to think about how many times they might have banged their bumpers, heck their entire front ends for that matter, together trying to nail this one element! Their bodywork leading into what you just saw here could not have been cheap! But then again, they do have both a doctor and a body and paint shop owner as part of their Radiator Springs Racing Team. I just bet though that their body and paint guy, not to mention their orthodontist, is living it _real_ good right now! Hey if anyone out there has a video of them practicing this, I'm sure we'd all like to see it!"

"You miss the old 'Demolition Derby' days of racing around here, don't you Darrell?" Bob noted.

"KAA-CHOWW!" Lightning and Sally cheered together back on the track in front of Doc after completing their kiss, as the crowd's thunderous acclaim rose around them.

"CONFETTI IS NOW SHOWERING DOWN THROUGHOUT THE STADIUM! THE ROAR OF THE CROWD IS JUST DEAFENING!" Bob exclaimed. "PISTON CUP CEREMONIES IN FUTURE MAY BE PRETTY TAME BY COMAPRISON AFTER THIS YEAR'S! WHAT A SHOW!"

"LADIES AND GENTLECARS," Doc yelled, straining to be heard amid the wild cheering, "THIS MAY BE SUPERFLUOUS AT THIS POINT . . . BUT IT GIVES ME THE GREATEST PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU MR. LIGHTNING MCQUEEN AND MRS. SALLY CARRERA-MCQUEEN, HUSBAND AND WIFE!"

"THE CROWD'S EVEN LOUDER ROAR OF APPROVAL SAYS IT ALL!" Bob yelled. "AS A FINAL ACT, THE BRIDE, SALLY, IS NOW FLIPPING HER HOOD JUST A BIT, TOSSING HER BOUQUET INTO THE AIR . . . IT'S LANDING ON . . . ON THE BEST TRUCK, MATER! . . . BUT WAIT, HE'S APPARENTLY RECOILING IN HORROR, AND THE BOUQUET IS AIRBORNE ONCE AGAIN! THE CROWD IS STILL CHEERING WILDLY! THIS TIME THE BOUQUET IS LANDING ON . . . ON ONE OF THE BRIDESMAIDS! IT LOOKS TO BE AN OLDER CAR, BUT I CAN'T TELL WHO IT IS! SHE LOOKS TO BE KEEPING IT THIS TIME! SO IT LOOKS LIKE SHE COULD BE NEXT IN LINE FOR A WEDDING! BUT DARRELL, WHILE THE CROWD LOOKS LIKE IT WANTS TO KEEP THIS PARTY GOING FOR SOME TIME, THIS HAS BEEN ONE INCREDIBLE DAY OF PISTON CUP RACING!"

"YES, BOB!" Darrell yelled back over the noise of the crowd. "WHILE THERE WILL BE A LOT OF GREAT RACES, AND A LOT OF SPECIAL TIMES ON TRACKS AROUND THE NATION YET TO COME . . . I DO THINK THIS MAY WELL GO DOWN AS MAYBE SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS I'LL EVER SEE IN RACING . . . ESPECIALLY THAT ONE MOVE OF THEIRS!"

"THE KING, STRIP WEATHERS, HAS RETIRED . . ." Bob continued, looking initially at Darrell. "BUT I THINK NEW RACING ROYALTY HAS BEEN CROWNED TODAY, WITH BOTH THEIR PISTON CUP VICTORY, AND NOW THE MARRIAGE ON THE TRACK OF LIGHTNING AND SALLY MCQUEEN!"

— — — — —

"LIGHTNING AND SALLY!" Dana Starlighter yelled as the newlyweds finally slowed to a stop in Pit Row after the ceremony, amid the continuing rain of confetti and the deafening roar of the crowd. "YOU'VE JUST WON THE PISTON CUP, AND GOTTEN MARRIED . . . ALL OF AMERICA WANTS TO KNOW, WHERE ARE YOU GOING NOW FOR YOUR HONEYMOON?"

"WE'RE GOING 'HOMESTEADING'!" Lightning yelled as he looked warmly at Sally, "BUT WE'RE NOT TELLING WHERE!"

— — — — —

"Phew!" Lightning exclaimed later as he and Sally finally arrived at their honeymoon destination. "Thank goodness Mr. Tex was able to convince the Department of Transportation to just close this stretch of Route 66 for maintenance for the next few days. We would have never escaped the crowds that followed us otherwise!"

"Are you sure this is where you want to spend our honeymoon?" Sally asked him with a smile. "I mean the power is not connected yet, there's no phone, we'll have to cook and heat the hot oil you like on a camp stove, and the paint is peeling."

"Oh, we can get started on fixing some of that, together," he responded with a smile. "But yes, here, all alone with you, and no interruptions . . . this is exactly where I want to spend this honeymoon with you!"

"Well, you know . . . this was part of my long-held dream for this place, too. So I can't argue with you there!" she warmly replied. "Oh look, they've even left us with a table with roses, a candle, and chilled sparkling coolant there on the overlook for us!"

"And look inside our 'suite'," Lightning invited as he opened the only freshly-painted door in the place.

"Ohhh," Sally sighed, "One big comfy bed mat with deluxe car quilts that I could dive into with you right now! And the electricity is connected here!"

"Well, it's not a sunrise, yet . . . but I suppose this sunset over Ornament Valley will do for now," Lightning invited. "Join me out on the overlook, my 'Wheel Well' Sal?"

"I am bringing out the hot car wax, mister . . . and giving you a thorough polish, right out there in the open!" Sally offered, seductively.

"Sally, what about helicopters?" Lightning cautioned.

"Oh, don't worry," she assured. "I've asked the combined 'air forces' of Dinoco and the Streets Tonight Network to maintain an adequate amount of sealed-off airspace around us, in exchange for high-profile co-sponsorships with Rust-eze of our team for next season. I wouldn't be surprised if the Thunder Angels Fighter Team provides some aerial defense as well."

"Wow, you really took care of the details, Sal!" Lightning marveled.

"Well hey," she replied, "you obviously took care of the details _very_ nicely right here . . . which is just a wonderful romantic surprise for me! Thank you!"

"Well . . . I had help!" he confessed.

"Hey, but this was your idea, Stickers!" she countered. "I'm still thoroughly charmed! I just took care of the details around us!"

"But co-sponsorships?" Lightning asked. "What about my exclusive primary sponsorship deal with Rust-eze? It still has several years to go!"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Sally assured. "If Rusty and Dusty don't want to share your hood, Mr. Tex is prepared to make them a handsome merger offer that I don't think those two would want to turn down. It's worth a lot more than their 'medicated bumper ointment' will ever be. Their contract with you is now by far their single most valuable asset. They'll figure that out soon enough here, if they haven't already. Plus, that's on my 'to do' list to renegotiate anyway. And no, you cannot tell them about the merger offer, and no we cannot buy their stock in advance on this . . . so it's a good thing we don't have a phone here. Besides, with what you're earning right now, we don't need to!"

"You're really taking care of my 'franchise value' aren't you?" he observed.

"You got it, sport!" she replied. "All the way to the bank, and to our new foundation, too!"

"Foundation?" Lightning asked.

"Hey, do you want to talk business through the honeymoon here, or are you ready for some pleasure?" she boldly asked.

"And with all this, we will get a home to live in, right? We won't have to live in motels and road trailers forever?" he asked.

"Well, it's not tops among the priorities currently pressing for our attention at the moment," she admitted. "But it is on the 'to do' list."

"Hmmmm . . ." he said with mixed emotions.

"Hey, my home is wherever you are, okay?" she said warmly.

"Okay," he relented. "Oops, the sun's going down! I've been promising myself that I'd kiss you at sunset right there on the overlook, on our wedding night."

"Well," Sally exclaimed, "I certainly wouldn't want to disappoint you . . . or me, for that matter!"

As shadows of nightfall crept eastward along the Ornament Valley, one small candle could be seen on a high overlook amid the Cadillac Range to the west as two lovers kissed. A glow was now on at the Wheel Well . . . one that would never be extinguished . . .

— — — — —

" . . . By the way," she asked, "does your jaw still ache?"

"Nope," he replied, " . . . mine's fully healed. Yours?"

"Mine's not quite there yet," she responded.


	13. Bonus Chapter

_I guess bliss must be boring, to both most writers and readers alike. Maybe that's why we virtually never find out what happens in 'happily ever after' . . . why the story ends or the screen fades just as the destined lovers ride, drive, fly or float off into the sunset._

_But at the same time, how do we __know what it could be like? How can we know what to hope, envision, or shoot for ourselves . . . how each partner grows and changes, yet also stays the same, and how both become truly at home with each other . . . if we never write or read about it?_

_Well, curious as to what a day in 'happily ever after' in Lightning and Sally's world at home around Radiator Springs might be like, I offer this bonus chapter, where they work together to help a couple of friends._

_Get ready for some warmth, deep thoughts, and even fun . . . all in one chapter . . ._

— _Norwesterner_

* * *

"Morning sweetheart," he heard, as he felt her fender gently caress his.

"Mmmmm," he mumbled as he yawned and stretched. "Are you sure? It's kinda dark out. Is there anything we have to get up for today?"

"Just another sunrise together here that we promised ourselves, the way you've always liked it," she replied. "The hot oil, under the comfy car quilt outdoors, the sun's silent spectacular rising, accompanied by the music of the distant waterfall . . . everything just the way you've been dreaming about. And no one else around for miles!"

"As long as it's with you," he said.

"Wouldn't dream of it any other way!" she warmly replied.

He slowly emerged from under the car covers as she opened the double doors to the courtyard from their room. As the two cars quietly motored together from within the stone recess that sheltered their room and under the spoked concrete arch, the still twilight sky around them was starting to become a bright warm red towards the east, hinting at the sunrise that was about to come.

"Hurry, Stickers. It's almost here!" Sally encouraged as she moved out ahead of him now.

Lightning and Sally soon arrived across the road at the overlook in front of the Wheel Well amid the pre-dawn chill, and quickly wrapped themselves together in the car quilt they had brought with them.

"Here's your steaming hot oil," she said as she offered it to him, "just the way you like it."

"Mmmmm . . . you don't know how many laps I've driven at times lately looking forward to this again," he said.

"Well," she responded, "I can see how trophies and cheering crowds can get old after a while. So I thought I'd arrange a real first prize for my Lightning here. Shhhhh . . . here it comes . . ."

They sat huddled close together under the quilt in silence as the first rays of the sun emerged over the valley to the east.

After a few moments, he sighed, "Could we just live here?"

"Well, it's a long drive to town, and it does say 'Motel' on the building, so it might be just a little difficult to keep it all to ourselves," she said.

"Well, if I only get to enjoy all this one more time with you here before this place opens, it couldn't be more perfect than it is right now," he said warmly to her.

"You know . . . maybe I might take the 'Motel' sign down after all!" she replied.

"I'll help!" he offered.

"This place is right on the road though . . . no privacy for us once cars would discover where we lived." she rethought. "Nope, we need to be in town where we can handle the crowds you and I attract together now."

"How about a ranch house just outside of town, up the hills partway, on the edge of the forest, with a decent view of the valley?" he countered. "Then we wouldn't have to cross a public road to enjoy our sunrises together. We could enjoy them on a deck, right outside our room."

"We still haven't built the team headquarters yet," she reminded him.

"Okay, I give up," he shrugged with resignation.

"No, Stickers, don't give up," she said as she nudged him encouragingly. "I'm sorry . . . I shouldn't be shooting holes like that in your ideas and desires. Forgive me?"

"Of course, Sal," he gently replied as he returned her nudge. "You're the most important thing. Where we share our life and love is just shine on the trophy."

"Yeah . . . but shine is nice, too. Don't worry, we'll make a good home for us, together," she assured as they began to be bathed in sunlight as they sipped on their hot oils some more.

"Thank you, for this," he said appreciatively as he looked at her and the spectacle around them.

"Thank you, for this, too," she said as she kissed him. "I never enjoyed sunrises here so much, until I started enjoying them with you."

"Oh," she remembered. "We do have one thing on the calendar today though. But it's not so bad. It's Doc and Dora's wedding. Fortunately Flo's been handling all the details this time!"

"Oh yeah," he remembered, " . . . and this time it's still on, right?"

"Flo and I aren't going to permit any more delays or postponements!" she replied. "We're not gonna let them, especially him, slide out of this anymore, only to want it back on again later. Just don't become like that when you're old, okay?"

"Part of me can see stubbornness can have its uses," he said, trying to understand Doc. "But you know, you're just more fun!"

"Way more fun!" she replied seductively.

The phone rang back at the Wheel Well's office behind them.

"I knew I shouldn't have plugged that phone in quite yet," Sally said as she kissed Lightning. "Be right back, my love. I promise!"

"Don't keep me waiting long, Sal," he said as she left. "Remember it takes two to keep this quilt warm on cold mornings like this!"

"Wheel Well Motel, but we're not quite open yet," he soon heard her say in the distance behind him. "Hi, Flo . . . Oh boy! . . . We're on our way! 'Bye!"

"Sorry, Stickers, we're needed back down the hill in town," Sally then yelled across the road. "It's an 'all hands on deck' . . . we gotta talk to the bride and groom one more time. This time, I think it will take both of us!"

"Why am I not surprised?" he sighed. "I'm still waking up here though. So could we make it a gentle cruise down the mountain this time?"

"Slowing down on me, huh champ?" she said playfully as she motored up next to him again.

"You and I are supposed to be on vacation here," Lighting replied. "That means I get to slow down and enjoy life a bit . . . especially with you!"

"I know," Sally sighed. "We haven't been getting much of a break lately, have we? Work on the road . . . plus business to do here at home. Make you a deal though. How 'bout we finish savoring our hot oils, the sunrise, and each other here a bit longer . . . and then we book, just a little, down the mountain, okay?"

"I can't help but love you when you compromise like that," he said admiringly.

"I know," she said back as she warmly edged up beside him. "That's why I do it! We've just got to spread this kind of 'compromise magic' to the bride and groom in town, okay? A real team effort here of modeling and walking our talk."

"Gotcha," he sighed as he turned and gave her a long deep kiss.

"You know," she said finishing the kiss, " . . . I'm sure I could have Dana Starlighter find some celebrity marriage counselor to stand in for us today, if you _really_ want!"

"Nah!" he said, looking at her. "Why send in an amateur to do what we're such pros at!"

"Does it get any better than this?" she asked him as the sun now rose beyond them.

"Well, we can always hope!" he replied optimistically as they shared some final sips of oil together. "Ready? Let's go."

"You're just too good," she said admiringly as they folded up their quilt, deciding to tuck it into his hatchback for a while.

"Hey, that's my line!" he warmly quipped with a smile, before they took off down the road together.

— — — — —

The sun was now shining, and the drive down the mountains was peaceful. When they arrived in Radiator Springs, the town was surprisingly quiet for a change . . . almost like the near ghost-town again that it used to be. Lightning and Sally finally spotted Flo shuttling between buildings, meeting up with her.

"The bride's over there crying in Doc's clinic, while the groom's fumin' in Traffic Court," Flo told them fretfully.

"We got it now, Flo," Sally assured. "You go take a break."

"You mean get back to serving breakfasts and making sure all the wedding catering prep is done, especially the grease layer wedding cake with the white sweet lube frosting . . . that kind of break, right?" Flo asked.

"Flo, do you and Ramone need a vacation up at the Wheel Well, too?" Sally replied sympathetically.

"About as much as you two do," Flo answered. "But I'll be fine. Thanks for offering though."

"Tell you what," Sally suggested. "How about I just postpone opening the Wheel Well a bit longer, and we'll make sure we schedule you and Ramone for a nice mid-week getaway up there, all to yourselves, while things are slower down here? Lightning and I will just run your café with Mia and Tia."

"You'd do that?" Flo asked, now really touched.

"Yes, Flo," Sally assured as she moved close beside Lightning. "We both really still owe you for what you've done for us."

"We do," Lightning smiled in agreement with his wife.

"You two are real gems, you know that?" Flo said, almost tearfully. "This has been just the kind of break and boost I've been needin' here. Now I'm ready to get back to work! Good luck with the bride and groom you two!"

"So, Sal, what's our game plan?" Lightning asked turning to her as Flo returned to her café with a renewed groove in her moves.

"Well, guys do have a harder time resisting gals who come crying to them," she replied.

"I'll remember that the next time you come crying to me," Lightning noted lightly, before suddenly realizing his faux-pas, " . . . which, come to think of it, really hasn't happened yet."

"So let's just agree to not let that happen, _okay?_ Not a pretty picture!" Sally recommended with more than a little sudden sharpness.

"I'm sorry, Sally," Lightning reassured her. "I don't want it to happen either, ever."

"Thanks, Lightning. Sorry, but given what I've known in the past, some things still just make me nervous," Sally explained, softening and taking a breath. "I may try to joke it off at times, but it just doesn't always work coming the other direction."

"I understand," Lightning said gently, as he supportively nudged her. "I'm sorry, I'll be more careful."

"Don't worry, you're good, Lightning," she reassured him now with a kiss. "In fact, the best I could ask for. Don't be too careful on me though. After all, we have to have some fun . . . and make a few mistakes now and then. The important thing is recovering from the mistakes we make, together."

Lightning just continued to nudge her silently, his eyes almost closed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well, this may sound weird," he shrugged, looking down, and then at her, " . . . but now to be really honest, I just don't like screwing up with you. It just doesn't feel good. Never thought I'd care about stuff like this. But now for some reason, I do."

"Hey, that's a good thing," she said warmly to him. "It tells me you really love me . . . that you're taking me, us, what you vowed to me, and even yourself, seriously. I don't like screwing up with you either. But you males seem to be either so easy-going or have such thick shells, that I can't really tell when I do. I'd like to know though, in a gentle way. So please tell me when I do, however you can. And I'll do my best to tell you in a gentle way, too, now that I know how you feel. Don't worry. Spirits, cores, hearts, transmissions — call them what you like — when open like ours are together now, are surprisingly sensitive things. They're easily hurt. The important thing I've learned . . . from being a divorce attorney, of all things — I hated that work and switched to business law as soon as possible . . . is to remember not to close up against pain the other car might cause you, but remain open and tell your partner here what's going on; and then trust that this partner of yours will understand, love you, and do what's right. You and I get that right together, and we'll be real, even awesome, champions at marriage, just the way we are on the track."

"You'd be good at this marriage stuff," Lightning said with a gentle smile.

"Thanks for giving me my first chance to prove it, partner," Sally responded. "You're good at this stuff, too . . . better than you know. Hey, what say we start spreading this magic understanding of ours?" she now suggested to him. "Starting with Dora, and then moving over to Doc."

"I almost forget now, it seems so long ago even though it hasn't been . . . but you think we were ever like these two?" he asked more lightly now, as they looked towards Doc's clinic.

"Boy, I hope not!" she replied. "I think I was just scared, due to my past," she then recalled as they motored towards the clinic, " . . . that, and busy. And you were just confused at my being scared, while being just a little frustrated over my being so busy. I think that's as bad as it got between us."

"Well, I still get a little frustrated at how busy we both are," he admitted. "But we're working on that. Overall though, I think you're right."

"Thanks!" she said, " . . . and I mean that this time!"

"Well, I can't really remember when you've been wrong," Lightning replied with a smile.

"I am _sooo_ grateful for your memory!" Sally smiled back.

They entered Doc's office to find an all too quiet Dora staring down at the floor.

"Dora . . . hi," Sally cautiously said.

"Thanks for coming so quickly, you two," Dora said gratefully. "I know you're trying to take a vacation. But I don't know if this is ever going to work between Doc and I."

"Do you want it to?" Sally asked directly.

"Yes," Dora replied. "I've been wanting it to work since he motored away 50 years now. I've settled for less in the intervening years. That didn't work. And I feel it's a miracle now that's brought us back together for this second chance."

"Then it will!" Sally assured. "It has to . . . after all, you caught the bouquet at our wedding!"

"After Mater," Dora corrected.

"Like that happy, tractor-tipping bachelor really wants to get hitched!" Sally continued undeterred. "But given the way you're talking, and what I know about you two, I'd say Doc just has some blockages that need to be worked through . . . fears that need to be addressed and the like. He's been alone a long time, Dora, and he may not know how to let someone else in. Lightning and I were just talking about that and exploring it ourselves this morning somewhat. Plus, given previous go-rounds here, it looks like Doc has just gotten pretty set in his ways. If you and Doc were in the big city, the jaded L.A. divorce attorney in me might say that things weren't looking so good. But you're in Radiator Springs! Both the place and the cars here have an almost magic way of bringing folks together. I've experienced that myself with Lightning, and now we're going to really put it to work for you this time. You just see."

"Oh, Sally," Dora sniffed, her hope returning, "I'll really owe you two one for this."

"That's the great thing about this place," Sally assured. "Everyone owes favors to everyone else. So there's never a shortage of help, or real friends, around here! Come on, let's go get this straightened out!"

— — — — —

Lightning, Sally, and Dora soon arrived in the hallway outside of Traffic Court. For some reason, they found a Cadillac Meteor hearse waiting in the hallway, looking quite bored.

"Excuse me," Sally said, finding this very odd, " . . . is there something we can do for you?"

"Well," said the hearse in his grave way, "I was called here from out of town to perform a wedding today by a Judge Hudson. But when he saw me, he slammed the door. I don't quite know whom I'm supposed to perform the wedding for, so I figured I'd wait a spell in case someone turned up."

Sally sighed and shook her hood. "Would you two excuse me and him for a minute?" she requested to Lightning and Dora as they now backed away a little.

"A hearse? _An undertaker?_" Sally exclaimed in a whisper as she motored up to him. "These are two old cars getting married! I'm sorry but the last thing they need to have at their wedding is an undertaker performing the ceremony!"

"Well, I am a Justice of the Peace," he responded, "although I've performed virtually nothing but funerals and memorial services."

"'Ya think there might be a reason for that?" Sally pointed out, almost incredulously. "Please accept our apologies for your coming all this way — and please enjoy a complimentary breakfast or lunch on me for your trouble at Flo's V-8 Café, just tell them to put this on Sally's tab. Heck, I'll even pay your normal fee myself if you like. But I think we'll have to make do without your services today."

"Oh the fee's not necessary at all, miss . . ." he replied.

"Well, it's Misses, actually, Misses Sally McQueen. Call me Sally," she corrected him as she introduced herself. "But thanks!"

Oh, sorry," he apologized. "I'm Simon, Simon Meteor, at your service. Your breakfast offer does sound good, however! You wouldn't believe though how often this happens to me."

"I'm very sorry, Simon," Sally replied. "But you might want to disclose what your day job is ahead of time in the future. Trust me though, weddings and undertakers . . . they just don't go together. Maybe consider becoming a repair wagon or medic unit, heck even a lunch or delivery wagon, if you want to perform marriages."

"Thanks, I'll think about that . . . I will!" he said as he now turned and left.

"That was just the other thing that set him off today when he saw that hearse pass by," Dora said to Sally after the black wagon had departed. "The first was that he still had appointments at the clinic this morning — until I took the liberty of clearing and rescheduling them for him yesterday. I thought he'd be pleasantly surprised this morning that I'd take care of him like that."

"Oh . . ." Sally said, pausing and suddenly feeling her job had just gotten a little more difficult. "Dora," she then quietly decided, "you just stay out here in the hallway, and either we'll call for you, or come and get you, okay?"

Dora nodded. "Gee," she whispered, "I've never had anyone do anything like this for me before."

"Well, now you have," Sally whispered back with a smile. "This is the kind of thing that just tends to happen here. Others helped Lightning and me get together. Now we're helping you and Doc. You ready, Stickers?" she said quietly, turning towards Lightning in front of the courtroom door while betraying a bit of uncertainty.

"Hey, I believe in you, Sally . . . and in us," he assured, gently grabbing her tire.

Sally smiled as she gave him a grateful nudge and they opened the courtroom doors and went in. They found Doc on his judge's lift, facing towards a window and looking out, vacantly.

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested!" Doc growled without even looking towards them.

"Doc, we're your teammates here," Lightning said, to Sally's relief and pleasant surprise. "Sally and I interrupted the first vacation we've tried to take in a while now . . . because we were told that a good friend could use some help."

Sally smiled approvingly at him.

"Well, you wasted your time!" Doc growled again.

"And so have you, Doc," Lightning countered right back. "I've got three words for you, words you have told me yourself . . . Fifty. Year. Mistake."

Doc closed his eyes upon hearing that.

"That's a whole lot more time you're about to waste than Sally and I might be wasting this morning," Lightning continued. "Besides, this is something she and I are doing together . . . and nothing that I do with my wife and partner now — nothing — is ever a waste of my time."

Sally nudged Lightning really closely, practically tearing up upon hearing that from him. Doc remained silent, still facing away from them.

"Don't you want to feel that way about someone, too?" Lighting asked Doc. "You've spent so long hiding your real self in this town, keeping cars out . . . that maybe you've forgotten, or perhaps never realized, how good it can feel to let someone in . . . really in. Yeah, letting someone into your life changes things. Things may not be as predictable anymore. Your schedule might be suddenly cleared, or an undertaker shows up to marry you. If you try and cope with it all just by yourself though, you get frustrated. But, if you look to your partner, if you lean on her, even a little — if you share the load of any hassles together . . . you wind up laughing at it all. And you wind up loving her."

"I don't want you missing out on that Doc," Lightning concluded as he looked at Sally, "because it's the best thing in the world. Better than winning a race — better than fame, fortunes, anything. It's even better than peace and quiet. All it takes is shifting gears . . . from 'me' to 'we'. And even then, you'll find a better 'you' inside of yourself than you ever knew before. Just let it in, Doc. Let her in, really in."

"Dora," Lightning then called out louder, " . . . would you join us?"

Dora came in silently through the doors, as Doc lowered and pivoted his lift around. Sally couldn't help but turn and quietly kiss Lightning with thorough admiration. "I told you you were good at this!" she whispered.

"It's you . . . in me," Lightning whispered back to Sally affectionately as he smiled at her.

"I don't know if I can change," Doc said with some candor and regret as he came around from behind his judge's bench. "I've been by myself an awful long time now."

"Why would I want you to change, Skids?" Dora asked as she motored slowly past Sally and Lightning towards Doc. "I've been in love with the car you are for over fifty years now."

"I'm sorry, Dora . . . I'm sorry," Doc said with a tear in his eye.

Dora nudged him. "It's alright, Skids," she reassured. "It's alright. Two doctors are bound to be tripping all over each other, screwing up each other's schedules, hogging the examination room and lifts. But as long as we can make mistakes together, apologize together, laugh about it together . . . we'll make those fifty years we've waited count yet. You'll see!"

Doc couldn't say anything. He just cast a warm, apologetic glance towards Dora.

"Well, now that we've dismissed the undertaker," Lightning wondered aloud, "what do we do about a ceremony?"

"Well," Sally replied, "I am registered as a clerk of this court and town, although I've had to deputize that role lately. So I suppose I could perform the ceremony, if you two would like."

Dora and Doc looked at each other. "That would be fine," he finally responded. "A role reversal to be sure, seeing as I married you two. But that would be fine."

"And hey, Doc," Lightning added, "Instead of having the event in your 'office' here — the courtroom — why don't we have everyone come up to the Wheel Well? We can hold the whole thing up there."

Lightning looked at Sally for an instant for agreement. She just winked and nodded back approvingly at him.

"And you can have the motel as your private honeymoon suite," he then offered as well, "as a gift from Sally and I."

"Weren't you taking your vacation up there?" Doc wondered.

"Now you are," Lightning affirmed as Sally nudged up next to him affectionately.

"Well now, how could we refuse something nice like that?" Doc said in his understated but accepting way as he and Dora began to leave the courtroom together.

Sally held Lightning back a moment, and said warmly to him, "You mister, deserve something extra special this evening for giving up your prized vacation spot!"

"Just you and me, and one cozy cone is all I want," Lightning replied.

"And how about one deluxe, private, hot wax massage," she offered, seductively nuzzling him, " . . . with three applications, and ultra-soft shami towel buffings?"

"Ohhh . . . you know me too well, Sally Carrera McQueen. You know me too well!" Lightning replied, almost shuddering with anticipation.

— — — — —

For a rare afternoon, Radiator Springs was deserted . . . except for a lone Highway Patrol car detailed to watch over the town. A message spelled out on the just-restored Radiator Springs Drive-In marquee . . .

JOIN US ALL  
UP AT THE  
WHEEL WELL

. . . was the only indication of where everyone had gone.

"Dearly beloved," Sally began as she addressed an overflow crowd in front of the Wheel Well that spilled out along the Mother Road in each direction. "We are here to celebrate not only two cars coming together, but also the spirit, and sense of sharing and caring that makes this place, and all of us, special."

"This bride and this groom," she continued, "have been waiting fifty years for this, and as Doc has been saying all kinds of platitudes about marriage to brides and grooms for decades himself — including at my own wedding not too long ago — I won't keep them waiting with any long speeches here, except to say . . . just give each other a break. When one of you gets irritated by something the other does, or doesn't do . . . just love 'em, knowing that they did the best they knew how. Just love 'em."

As the traditional ceremony proceeded, Lightning, standing off to one side, heard Mater sniffling next to him.

"What's the matter, Mater?" Lightning whispered. "I didn't think you cared about stuff like this."

"Oh, it's mostly the pollen up here," he sniffed. "But it does remind me of when my Aunt Mabel married my Uncle Myron. That was just a beautiful weddin'! She was all decked out in tassles . . . Or was it ruffles? . . . Crinolines?"

"Well, here's another beautiful wedding," Lightning quietly suggested. "So how about we enjoy this one, and you save the story for later!"

"Oh, right!" Mater whispered back. "Besides, isn't there something we're suppos'd to be doin' here?"

"Yes!" Lightning whispered, slightly irritated. "Now!"

" . . . And who holds the golden license plate frames?" Sally asked ceremonially.

Lightning gave a firm nudge to Mater.

"Oh, yeah, right! I have 'em, right here!" Mater responded as he began fishing around among his tools in back with his hook. " . . . Somewhere!"

"Mater!" Lightning whispered under his exhaust. "Would you like me to have a look back there?"

"Oh no, I remember right where I put 'em!" he assured as he continued fishing around with his hook. "Nope, somewhere else!"

"Guido, trova prego le loro strutture della targa di immatricolazione su Mater!" Lightning said quietly aside to Guido, grateful for the Italian Sally had been teaching him during some of their evenings together.

Guido scooted behind Mater and began probing among Mater's clutter of tools with his forks, going by feel alone while looking skyward with his usual professional demeanor.

"Hey, that tickles!" Mater protested as he uncontrollably laughed and shook, spilling tools around him.

"Successo!" Guido finally proclaimed as he held the two golden frames aloft on one fork.

"Grazie, Guido!" Sally gratefully acknowledged. "Attacca prego le loro strutture della targa di immatricolazione."

Doc just looked warmly at Dora. "Small town weddings," he shrugged. "What're 'ya gonna do?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Dora reassured.

"As Guido attaches the gold frames, the bride and groom will now exchange their vows." Sally continued. "Judge Hudson?"

"Dora," Doc spoke plainly, "with this frame, I undo a mistake I made fifty years ago . . ."

He paused, losing his composure somewhat, as Dora moved closer, holding his tire with understanding, gratitude, and compassion.

"I'm so sorry, Dora . . ." he said unable to stifle his tears.

Dora just nudged closely to him. There wasn't a dry eye in the assembled crowd now.

"Skids," Dora gently said, as Guido now quietly moved behind Doc to attach his gold license plate frame, "I forgave you fifty years ago. That's what love, real love, does to a car. With this frame I now give to you, I promise you we will have every bit the life together we would have shared had we done this back then. We will miss nothing. We will share, celebrate, and enjoy everything. And our regrets will become nothing more than fuel that feeds, enhances, and strengthens our love even more . . . both now, and throughout a long and happy life together that we begin today. I know I'm marrying the right car, at just the right time. We are each whole and complete now, because we are together."

"You always had more of a way with words than I did!" Doc sniffed apologetically, but with admiration.

The crowd laughed with them warmly.

"Doc, Dora," Sally said, wiping her own tears away with her wipers, " . . . by the power vested in me by the State of Arizona, but more importantly by this community of cars, and the spirit of friendship, and even love, we all share, it is my honor to pronounce you husband and wife, and to invite you each to now kiss your true partner for life."

Doc and Dora turned towards each other, now both crying slightly, as they moved in for a long, slow kiss. The entire valley began resonating with the honks and cheers of the assembled crowd.

"Ladies and gentlecars," Sally concluded, " . . . it gives me great pleasure to introduce Doctors Hudson Hornet and Dora DeVille-Hudson as husband and wife!"

Doc and Dora turned to greet the assembled and enthusiastic crowd of well-wishers around them, as Sally moved over next to Lightning.

"I married someone! I married someone!" Sally whispered excitedly to Lighting as she squeezed his tire. "Oh, and this is such a great spot for an actual wedding! You had such the perfect idea in suggesting we all come here, Stickers!"

"Well," he responded warmly, "it worked for me when I proposed to you . . . and this would have been the place I wanted to marry you, too, if we hadn't been 'shanghaied' by the entire Piston Cup community. Plus, it did work great for our own honeymoon! I just hoped it would work for Doc and Dora, too . . . and 'ya know, I think it will!"

"Well, we can always renew our vows up here," she suggested to him.

"Ten years from now," he affirmed, " . . . it's a date!"

"I'm not sure I can wait that long!" she replied.

"Then how about the next sunrise this place is available, before it opens and gets really booked," he suggested. "Just you and I."

"Deal, mister!" Sally said happily as she kissed him. "Oh wait, look, Dora's about to toss her bouquet!"

The eligible lady cars lined up on the overlook, Mia and Tia prominent among them.

"'Scuse me, I think I lost something over at the Wheel Well," Mater said, trying to distance himself as far as possible from the dreaded tradition this time, " . . . way behind the office somewhere over there!"

Facing the Wheel Well, Dora tossed her bouquet behind her. But while Mia and Tia both strained to reach it, a gust of wind caught it, sending it sailing well out into the air and down beyond the overlook.

"Suits me!" Flo smiled as she started moving towards the catering tables. "I didn't want to lose the help at the café anyway!"

"Let's join the party," Sally then quietly suggested to Lightning, having overheard what the overworked café owner had just said. "I think Flo could use a little help with the catering over there."

— — — — —

The road in front of the Wheel Well was soon reopened for cruising as oldies drifted through the air, echoing across the valley, while cars continued to mingle, both around the motel and over at the viewpoint.

But a short while later, the power went out.

"I'll get it!" Sally offered. "Here, Stickers, you keep helping Flo serve these refreshments."

"You sure?" Lightning said.

"Yeah, it's the breaker panel," she assured. "I know right where it is. Hey remember, I'm not only a Crew Chief, but I'm also a motel owner. You know I know how to fix these things!"

"Well, 'Hot shot racecar serves flavored coolant while his wife fixes the building' — not quite sure about that headline . . ." he replied, only half joking.

"Oh, come on," Sally whispered to him. "Hey, we've been over all this before. You're not going all 'macho' on me now, are 'ya? . . . Not that I don't enjoy that sometimes!"

"No . . ." Lightning quietly responded. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, I love you," she softly reminded him as she kissed him. "And if we're lucky, it might just turn into a two-car job here . . . even if the problem doesn't require it! But remember, Flo needs our help, too, okay?"

"Okay, I love you, too," he accepted. "But I'll still be hopin' for the back-up call."

"I got your back-up call, mister, right here!" she said warmly, flashing her pinstripe tattoo at him as she turned to go.

"You _were_ a bad girl once, weren't you?" he said admiringly.

"Yep!" she smiled. "I was. I'm even better now though — all just for you!"

"Wow! I think I need some flavored coolant myself now!" Lightning admitted, as Sally went off with a smile to one side of the motel.

A short time later, he heard, "Hey, Stickers, I really do need back-up! Check the other fuse panel in the motel office, would you?"

"I'm on it!" Lightning responded as he went into the small, glass-enclosed structure.

"How's this?" he yelled as he flipped a switch. The music and the lights came back on, as Lightning paused a couple of moments to check that nothing else on the panel was wrong. But suddenly, he felt himself get yanked from behind and towed out to the road.

"Thanks Mater!" he heard a familiar voice behind him say.

"You're welcome Miss, or should I say, Misses Sally. But you still owe me from the last time I done this for you!" Mater said jovially.

"This cruise with you is mine!" Sally said, claiming Lightning.

"This is the fourth time he's caught you!" she playfully commented as they began cruising. "You may be the fastest on the track, but you're still a little slow in anticipating these things. I've got a running bet with Mater as to how many times we can do this to you, and so far I'm losing!"

"Well, since I don't have side rear view mirrors — as per race circuit rules still, that you're in charge of by the way," he noted, "and I'm trusting you to watch my back on the track . . . that all leaves me just a bit blindsided off the track, don't you think?"

"Okay, fair enough . . . my bad. I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'll end the bet with Mater, and I'll only use it from now on when I really want you . . . which is pretty much all the time. But I'll try and be good. Really, I will!"

"Well," he relented, smiling, "as long as I'm being towed to you, and not tossed into a cactus patch, I guess I don't really mind."

"I will defend your chassis to the death, and do mortal combat with anyone who wants to toss you into a cactus patch!" she assured with playful bravery. "How's that?"

"Acceptable assurance," he responded straight-faced.

"Just acceptable?" she queried. "There could be a _really_ extended hot wax massage riding on your answer here!"

"Hmmmmm . . ." Lightning pondered good-naturedly.

They both broke down laughing as they continued to cruise.

"By the way, your Italian's coming along nicely!" she noted a short while later as they turned around on the short stretch of highway and cruised back amid the party.

"Thanks! But I could always use some more lessons you know," he responded warmly.

"Maybe _after_ your hot wax massage," she offered.

"Always making me wait, aren't you?" he quipped.

"Oh yeah?" she rejoined. "Watch this! . . . Hey Flo!" Sally then called over to her. "Could you handle things now, 'cause Stickers and me are wantin' to book, okay? Huge favor . . . we owe 'ya!"

"One of these days, it _is_ gonna be your turn to do actual clean-up work around these parts!" Flo emphasized. "But not today! Git goin' you two!"

"Thanks, Flo!" Sally shouted to her before turning back towards Lightning.

"Hey Stickers, last one in the cone gets to apply the hot wax!" Sally suggestively challenged him as the sun now began to set.

"Hey!" Lightning objected. "I thought I was getting that as a reward tonight!"

"All the more reason for you to make sure you get down there first! See 'ya!" Sally playfully responded as she took off through the crowd.

"Ka-chow! Love that Sal of mine!" Lightning said admiringly to himself as he took off after her down the road.

_FINISH_

_Now see Lightning and Sally's story continue in  
REAL CHAMPIONS: THE CRASH_


End file.
